Martin County, Indiana: deer harvest and public hunting land
Martin County covers 340 square miles around Shoals. Hunters took 991 deer here in the 2025 season, 426 of them antlered, by the DNR's deer report. That is down 43% from 2024, and the fewest in the 5 years shown. 8.5% of Martin County is public land open to the public, the largest share properties open to public hunting (DNR map) (16,925 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 forestOther DNR landCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landMartin CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 217,827 acres (340 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer taken, 2025 | 991 (426 antlered, 565 antlerless) |
| Public land | 8.5% (18,557 acres) |
| Public hunting properties | 3 (16,925 acres inside Martin County) |
| Towns in and near it | Shoals, Loogootee, Crane, Alfordsville, French Lick and West Baden Springs |
How many deer are harvested in Martin County?
Hunters took 991 deer in Martin County in 2025: 426 antlered and 565 antlerless (57% antlerless).
| Season | Deer taken | Antlered | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 991 | 426 | 565 |
| 2024 | 1,735 | 805 | 930 |
| 2023 | 1,639 | 706 | 933 |
| 2022 | 1,670 | 805 | 865 |
| 2021 | 1,552 | 738 | 814 |
Source: Indiana DNR White-tailed Deer Reports (2021 to 2025 seasons, Table 3-4), Martin County.
How much public land is in Martin County?
18,557 of Martin County's 217,827 acres are public land open to the public (8.5%). The biggest share is properties open to public hunting (DNR map): 16,925 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Martin County |
|---|---|---|
| Properties open to public hunting (DNR map) | 16,925 | 7.8% |
| Other DNR land | 1,121 | 0.5% |
| National forest | 261 | 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 250 | 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 18,557 | 8.5% |
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 Martin County
Properties open to public hunting in Martin County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Hoosier National Forest: 9,671 acres
- Martin State Forest: 7,134 acres
- Hindostan Falls Public Fishing Area: 120 acres
How do you get to Martin County?
Highways through it: US 231 (about 23 miles inside), US 150 (about 18 miles inside) and US 50 (about 16 miles inside). Towns inside: Shoals, Loogootee, Crane, Dover Hill and Burns City. Nearby: Alfordsville (on the line), French Lick (3 miles), West Baden Springs (4 miles) and Odon (4 miles).
Which counties border Martin County?
Martin County touches 5 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubois County | 2,018 | 2025 | 4.4% |
| Greene County | 2,158 | 2025 | 5.6% |
| Orange County | 2,010 | 2025 | 18.7% |
| Daviess County | 1,385 | 2025 | 4% |
| Lawrence County | 2,381 | 2025 | 6.4% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Martin County in 2025?
991: 426 antlered and 565 antlerless (DNR). In 2024: 1,735.
Is there public hunting land in Martin County?
18,557 acres, 8.5% 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) (16,925 acres). The DNR's map shows 3 properties open to public hunting here.
What is the deer bag limit in Martin 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.
Get a Indiana hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Indiana are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
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 Dubois County Greene County Orange County Daviess County Lawrence County