Jefferson County, Indiana: deer harvest and public hunting land
Jefferson County covers 363 square miles around Madison. Hunters took 1,219 deer here in the 2025 season, 566 of them antlered, by the DNR's deer report. That is down 23% from 2024, and the fewest in the 5 years shown. 9.1% of Jefferson County is public land open to the public, the largest share properties open to public hunting (DNR map) (17,521 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)State parksOther DNR landCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landJefferson CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 232,306 acres (363 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer taken, 2025 | 1,219 (566 antlered, 653 antlerless) |
| Public land | 9.1% (21,127 acres) |
| Public hunting properties | 3 (17,521 acres inside Jefferson County) |
| Towns in and near it | Madison, Hanover, Dupont, Vernon, Scottsburg and Vevay |
How many deer are harvested in Jefferson County?
Hunters took 1,219 deer in Jefferson County in 2025: 566 antlered and 653 antlerless (54% antlerless).
| Season | Deer taken | Antlered | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,219 | 566 | 653 |
| 2024 | 1,573 | 744 | 829 |
| 2023 | 1,481 | 689 | 792 |
| 2022 | 1,459 | 676 | 783 |
| 2021 | 1,652 | 838 | 814 |
Source: Indiana DNR White-tailed Deer Reports (2021 to 2025 seasons, Table 3-4), Jefferson County.
How much public land is in Jefferson County?
21,127 of Jefferson County's 232,306 acres are public land open to the public (9.1%). The biggest share is properties open to public hunting (DNR map): 17,521 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Jefferson County |
|---|---|---|
| Properties open to public hunting (DNR map) | 17,521 | 7.5% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 1,575 | 0.7% |
| State parks | 1,414 | 0.6% |
| County, city and regional land | 588 | 0.3% |
| Other DNR land | 29 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 21,127 | 9.1% |
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 Jefferson County
Properties open to public hunting in Jefferson County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge: 15,685 acres
- Splinter Ridge Fish and Wildlife Area: 1,541 acres
- Hardy Lake: 295 acres
How do you get to Jefferson County?
Highways through it: US 421 (about 18 miles inside). Towns inside: Madison, Hanover, Dupont, Brooksburg, Canaan and Deputy. Nearby: Vernon (6 miles), Scottsburg (6 miles), Vevay (6 miles) and Austin (7 miles).
Which counties border Jefferson County?
Jefferson County touches 5 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clark County | 1,238 | 2025 | 8.9% |
| Scott County | 539 | 2025 | 9.1% |
| Ripley County | 1,276 | 2025 | 11.1% |
| Jennings County | 830 | 2025 | 7.7% |
| Switzerland County | 1,236 | 2025 | 1.4% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Jefferson County in 2025?
1,219: 566 antlered and 653 antlerless (DNR). In 2024: 1,573.
Is there public hunting land in Jefferson County?
21,127 acres, 9.1% 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) (17,521 acres). The DNR's map shows 3 properties open to public hunting here.
What is the deer bag limit in Jefferson 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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Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Indiana included.
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 Clark County Scott County Ripley County Jennings County Switzerland County