Madison County, Indiana: deer harvest and public hunting land
Madison County covers 453 square miles around Anderson. Hunters took 715 deer here in the 2025 season, 377 of them antlered, by the DNR's deer report. That is down 2% from 2024. 0.4% of Madison County is public land open to the public, the largest share county, city and regional land (904 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 landMadison CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 289,823 acres (453 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer taken, 2025 | 715 (377 antlered, 338 antlerless) |
| Public land | 0.4% (1,200 acres) |
| Public hunting properties | None mapped |
| Towns in and near it | Anderson, Pendleton, Lapel, Daleville, Fortville and Middletown |
How many deer are harvested in Madison County?
Hunters took 715 deer in Madison County in 2025: 377 antlered and 338 antlerless (47% antlerless).
| Season | Deer taken | Antlered | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 715 | 377 | 338 |
| 2024 | 732 | 374 | 358 |
| 2023 | 629 | 329 | 300 |
| 2022 | 639 | 293 | 346 |
| 2021 | 539 | 260 | 279 |
Source: Indiana DNR White-tailed Deer Reports (2021 to 2025 seasons, Table 3-4), Madison County.
How much public land is in Madison County?
1,200 of Madison County's 289,823 acres are public land open to the public (0.4%). The biggest share is county, city and regional land: 904 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Madison County |
|---|---|---|
| County, city and regional land | 904 | 0.3% |
| State parks | 294 | 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 2 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 1,200 | 0.4% |
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 Madison County?
Highways through it: I-69 (about 36 miles inside) and US 36 (about 15 miles inside). Towns inside: Anderson, Pendleton, Lapel, Elwood, Alexandria and Ingalls. Nearby: Daleville (on the line), Fortville (on the line), Middletown (2 miles) and Fowlerton (2 miles).
Which counties border Madison County?
Madison County touches 6 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grant County | 1,220 | 2025 | 0.7% |
| Henry County | 785 | 2025 | 2.2% |
| Tipton County | 213 | 2025 | 0.1% |
| Hancock County | 422 | 2025 | 0.2% |
| Delaware County | 1,049 | 2025 | 1.4% |
| Hamilton County | 626 | 2025 | 2% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Madison County in 2025?
715: 377 antlered and 338 antlerless (DNR). In 2024: 732.
Is there public hunting land in Madison County?
1,200 acres, 0.4% 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 county, city and regional land (904 acres).
What is the deer bag limit in Madison 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 Grant County Henry County Tipton County Hancock County Delaware County Hamilton County