Frances Slocum State Forest: hunting and access
Frances Slocum State Forest is 516 acres open to public hunting in Miami County, 5 miles from Peru, managed by the DNR's Division of Forestry. Hunters took 1,750 deer in Miami County in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: the DNR's DNR property open to hunting data, read 2026-10. Harvest: Indiana DNR deer reports, 2021 to 2025.
Properties open to public hunting (DNR map)Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakesState parksOther DNR landCounty, city and regional landFrances Slocum State ForestCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 516 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Miami County |
| Deer harvest unit | Miami County |
| DNR lists for hunting | Deer, Rabbit, Squirrel, Turkey and Raccoon |
| Managed by | the DNR's Division of Forestry |
| DNR contact | Salamonie River SF 260-782-0430 |
| Hunter check-in (DNR) | Required |
| Nearest towns | Peru (5 mi), Somerset (7 mi) and North Grove (7 mi) |
What can you hunt on Frances Slocum State Forest?
In the DNR's words: Deer, rabbit, squirrel, turkey (drawing only). Night hunting for raccoon.
What are the rules on Frances Slocum State Forest?
Hunters must check in at the property; the DNR's property page says how.
Indiana's statewide bag limit is 1 antlered and 6 antlerless deer, within each county's antlerless limit (DNR).
How many deer are taken around Frances Slocum State Forest?
Frances Slocum State Forest lies in Miami County. Hunters took 1,750 deer in Miami County in 2025, against 1,593 in 2024.
| County | Frances Slocum State Forest acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami County | 516 | 1,750 | 1,593 | 1,669 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the property alone: Indiana DNR White-tailed Deer Reports (2021 to 2025 seasons, Table 3-4).
How do you get to Frances Slocum State Forest?
Nearest towns: Peru (5 miles), Somerset (7 miles), North Grove (7 miles) and Wabash (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 24.
What other public land is near Frances Slocum State Forest?
Public land within 3 miles of Frances Slocum State Forest
Counting Frances Slocum State Forest itself, 5,088 of the 27,783 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (18.3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting property boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 4,500 |
| Properties open to public hunting (DNR map) | 516 |
| County, city and regional land | 61 |
| State parks | 8 |
| Other DNR land | 3 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Frances Slocum State Forest?
In Miami County, 5 miles from Peru.
What can you hunt on Frances Slocum State Forest?
The DNR lists: Deer, rabbit, squirrel, turkey (drawing only). Night hunting for raccoon.
How much public land is around Frances Slocum State Forest?
5,088 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Frances Slocum State Forest included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting property boundaries.
Get a Indiana hunt plan when they open
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Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Indiana included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Frances Slocum State Forest; Indiana DNR properties with public hunting (managed lands layer).
- Boundary and acres: the DNR's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and the DNR's public hunting property boundaries.
- Deer harvest: Indiana DNR White-tailed Deer Reports (2021 to 2025 seasons, Table 3-4).
FilledTag is not part of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Check the DNR's rules and posted signs before you go.