Hamilton County, Indiana: deer harvest and public hunting land
Hamilton County covers 402 square miles around Carmel. Hunters took 626 deer here in the 2025 season, 290 of them antlered, by the DNR's deer report. That is up 9% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 2% of Hamilton County is public land open to the public, the largest share land trusts and other open land (2,609 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting property boundaries.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: the DNR's deer reports, 2021 to 2025. Land: PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting property layer.
State parksOther DNR landCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landHamilton CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 257,585 acres (402 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer taken, 2025 | 626 (290 antlered, 336 antlerless) |
| Public land | 2% (5,087 acres) |
| Public hunting properties | None mapped |
| Towns in and near it | Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Fortville, Lapel and Williams Creek |
How many deer are harvested in Hamilton County?
Hunters took 626 deer in Hamilton County in 2025: 290 antlered and 336 antlerless (54% antlerless).
| Season | Deer taken | Antlered | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 626 | 290 | 336 |
| 2024 | 574 | 260 | 314 |
| 2023 | 565 | 276 | 289 |
| 2022 | 561 | 243 | 318 |
| 2021 | 488 | 212 | 276 |
Source: Indiana DNR White-tailed Deer Reports (2021 to 2025 seasons, Table 3-4), Hamilton County.
How much public land is in Hamilton County?
5,087 of Hamilton County's 257,585 acres are public land open to the public (2%). The biggest share is land trusts and other open land: 2,609 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Hamilton County |
|---|---|---|
| Land trusts and other open land | 2,609 | 1% |
| County, city and regional land | 2,442 | 0.9% |
| Other DNR land | 36 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 5,087 | 2% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the county line from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and the DNR's public hunting property boundaries. Hunting rules differ by manager: properties on the DNR's public hunting map are open under the DNR's rules for each; national forest is open; refuges follow U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rules; Corps of Engineers lake land is open in many places under each project's own rules; state parks hold only special hunts; city and county land sets its own rules.
How do you get to Hamilton County?
Highways through it: US 31 (about 44 miles inside), I-69 (about 22 miles inside), I-465 (about 5 miles inside), IN 37 (about 3 miles inside) and US 52 (about 2 miles inside). Towns inside: Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Westfield, Sheridan and Cicero. Nearby: Fortville (on the line), Lapel (on the line), Williams Creek (2 miles) and McCordsville (2 miles).
Which counties border Hamilton County?
Hamilton County touches 6 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boone County | 552 | 2025 | 0.6% |
| Marion County | 418 | 2025 | 6% |
| Tipton County | 213 | 2025 | 0.1% |
| Clinton County | 557 | 2025 | 0% |
| Hancock County | 422 | 2025 | 0.2% |
| Madison County | 715 | 2025 | 0.4% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Hamilton County in 2025?
626: 290 antlered and 336 antlerless (DNR). In 2024: 574.
Is there public hunting land in Hamilton County?
5,087 acres, 2% of the county, are public land open to the public by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting property boundaries, the largest share land trusts and other open land (2,609 acres).
What is the deer bag limit in Hamilton County?
Indiana's statewide limit is 1 antlered and 6 antlerless deer; each county has its own antlerless limit within that, on the DNR's county antlerless bag limit list.
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Where these numbers come from
- Deer harvest: Indiana DNR White-tailed Deer Reports (2021 to 2025 seasons, Table 3-4).
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and the DNR's public hunting property boundaries. DNR properties open to hunting: Indiana DNR properties with public hunting (managed lands layer).
- Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 cartographic county boundaries. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Numbers are copied from the DNR and the federal sources above, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
Indiana hunting Boone County Marion County Tipton County Clinton County Hancock County Madison County