Jackson County, Indiana: deer harvest and public hunting land
Jackson County covers 514 square miles around Seymour. Hunters took 1,232 deer here in the 2025 season, 592 of them antlered, by the DNR's deer report. That is down 28% from 2024, and the fewest in the 5 years shown. 11.8% of Jackson County is public land open to the public, the largest share properties open to public hunting (DNR map) (35,887 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.
Properties open to public hunting (DNR map)National forestNational wildlife refugesFederal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakesState parksOther DNR landCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landJackson CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 328,882 acres (514 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer taken, 2025 | 1,232 (592 antlered, 640 antlerless) |
| Public land | 11.8% (38,656 acres) |
| Public hunting properties | 5 (35,886 acres inside Jackson County) |
| Towns in and near it | Seymour, Brownstown, Crothersville, Jonesville, Austin and Little York |
How many deer are harvested in Jackson County?
Hunters took 1,232 deer in Jackson County in 2025: 592 antlered and 640 antlerless (52% antlerless).
| Season | Deer taken | Antlered | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,232 | 592 | 640 |
| 2024 | 1,719 | 816 | 903 |
| 2023 | 1,653 | 825 | 828 |
| 2022 | 1,585 | 777 | 808 |
| 2021 | 1,512 | 734 | 778 |
Source: Indiana DNR White-tailed Deer Reports (2021 to 2025 seasons, Table 3-4), Jackson County.
How much public land is in Jackson County?
38,656 of Jackson County's 328,882 acres are public land open to the public (11.8%). The biggest share is properties open to public hunting (DNR map): 35,887 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Jackson County |
|---|---|---|
| Properties open to public hunting (DNR map) | 35,887 | 10.9% |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 1,509 | 0.5% |
| Other DNR land | 560 | 0.2% |
| National forest | 452 | 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuges | 142 | under 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 64 | under 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 42 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 38,656 | 11.8% |
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.
Properties open to public hunting in Jackson County
Properties open to public hunting in Jackson County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Hoosier National Forest: 22,722 acres
- Jackson-Washington State Forest: 6,903 acres
- Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge: 4,566 acres
- Austin Bottoms Conservation Area: 1,599 acres
- Cypress Lake Public Fishing Area: 96 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Monroe Recreation Area (1,760 acres).
How do you get to Jackson County?
Highways through it: I-65 (about 43 miles inside), US 31 (about 21 miles inside) and US 50 (about 5 miles inside). Towns inside: Seymour, Brownstown, Crothersville, Medora, Reddington and Rockford. Nearby: Jonesville (on the line), Austin (on the line), Little York (2 miles) and Elizabethtown (4 miles).
Which counties border Jackson County?
Jackson County touches 7 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown County | 1,400 | 2025 | 33.7% |
| Scott County | 539 | 2025 | 9.1% |
| Monroe County | 1,652 | 2025 | 22.5% |
| Jennings County | 830 | 2025 | 7.7% |
| Lawrence County | 2,381 | 2025 | 6.4% |
| Washington County | 2,616 | 2025 | 5.8% |
| Bartholomew County | 850 | 2025 | 0.6% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Jackson County in 2025?
1,232: 592 antlered and 640 antlerless (DNR). In 2024: 1,719.
Is there public hunting land in Jackson County?
38,656 acres, 11.8% 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 properties open to public hunting (DNR map) (35,887 acres). The DNR's map shows 5 properties open to public hunting here.
What is the deer bag limit in Jackson 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 Brown County Scott County Monroe County Jennings County Lawrence County Washington County Bartholomew County