Marion County, Indiana: deer harvest and public hunting land
Marion County covers 403 square miles around Indianapolis city. Hunters took 418 deer here in the 2025 season, 166 of them antlered, by the DNR's deer report. That is down 7% from 2024, and the fewest in the 5 years shown. 6% of Marion County is public land open to the public, the largest share county, city and regional land (11,310 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 landMarion CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 257,919 acres (403 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer taken, 2025 | 418 (166 antlered, 252 antlerless) |
| Public land | 6% (15,526 acres) |
| Public hunting properties | None mapped |
| Towns in and near it | Indianapolis city, Lawrence, Speedway, Cumberland, McCordsville and Greenwood |
How many deer are harvested in Marion County?
Hunters took 418 deer in Marion County in 2025: 166 antlered and 252 antlerless (60% antlerless).
| Season | Deer taken | Antlered | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 418 | 166 | 252 |
| 2024 | 449 | 164 | 285 |
| 2023 | 443 | 157 | 286 |
| 2022 | 478 | 167 | 311 |
| 2021 | 428 | 146 | 282 |
Source: Indiana DNR White-tailed Deer Reports (2021 to 2025 seasons, Table 3-4), Marion County.
How much public land is in Marion County?
15,526 of Marion County's 257,919 acres are public land open to the public (6%). The biggest share is county, city and regional land: 11,310 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Marion County |
|---|---|---|
| County, city and regional land | 11,310 | 4.4% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 2,179 | 0.8% |
| State parks | 1,655 | 0.6% |
| Other DNR land | 382 | 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 15,526 | 6% |
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 Marion County?
Highways through it: I-465 (about 98 miles inside), I-74 (about 60 miles inside), US 40 (about 58 miles inside), US 36 (about 57 miles inside) and I-65 (about 53 miles inside). Towns inside: Indianapolis city, Lawrence, Speedway, Beech Grove, Meridian Hills and Clermont. Nearby: Cumberland (on the line), McCordsville (on the line), Greenwood (2 miles) and Plainfield (2 miles).
Which counties border Marion County?
Marion County touches 7 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boone County | 552 | 2025 | 0.6% |
| Morgan County | 1,701 | 2025 | 3.6% |
| Shelby County | 567 | 2025 | 0.1% |
| Hancock County | 422 | 2025 | 0.2% |
| Johnson County | 650 | 2025 | 3% |
| Hamilton County | 626 | 2025 | 2% |
| Hendricks County | 802 | 2025 | 0.7% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Marion County in 2025?
418: 166 antlered and 252 antlerless (DNR). In 2024: 449.
Is there public hunting land in Marion County?
15,526 acres, 6% 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 (11,310 acres).
What is the deer bag limit in Marion 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 Morgan County Shelby County Hancock County Johnson County Hamilton County Hendricks County