Hoosier National Forest: hunting and access
Hoosier National Forest is 202,389 acres open to public hunting in Perry, Orange, Crawford, Jackson, Monroe, Brown, Lawrence, Martin and Dubois counties, next to Leopold, managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Hunters took 1,771 deer in Perry 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)National forestNational wildlife refugesFederal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakesNational park landState parksOther DNR landCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landHoosier National ForestCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 202,389 acres in 212 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Perry County, Orange County, Crawford County, Jackson County, Monroe County, Brown County, Lawrence County, Martin County and Dubois County |
| Deer harvest unit | Perry County, Orange County, Crawford County, Jackson County, Monroe County, Brown County, Lawrence County, Martin County, Dubois County |
| DNR lists for hunting | Quail, Rabbit, Squirrel, Deer, Dove, Turkey, Woodcock, Waterfowl, Raccoon and Fox |
| Managed by | the U.S. Forest Service |
| DNR contact | Hoosier National Forest 812-275-5987 |
| On the property (DNR) | camping |
| Nearest towns | Leopold (next to it), Grantsburg (next to it) and Birdseye (next to it) |
What can you hunt on Hoosier National Forest?
In the DNR's words: Quail, rabbit, squirrel, deer, dove, turkey, woodcock, waterfowl. Night hunting for raccoon and fox.
What are the rules on Hoosier National Forest?
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 Hoosier National Forest?
Hoosier National Forest lies in 9 counties. Hunters took 1,771 deer in Perry County in 2025, against 1,831 in 2024.
| County | Hoosier National Forest acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perry County | 60,260 | 1,771 | 1,831 | 1,701 |
| Orange County | 32,385 | 2,010 | 1,967 | 1,865 |
| Crawford County | 23,913 | 2,118 | 2,001 | 1,756 |
| Jackson County | 22,722 | 1,232 | 1,719 | 1,653 |
| Monroe County | 18,830 | 1,652 | 1,397 | 1,457 |
| Brown County | 18,003 | 1,400 | 1,490 | 1,343 |
| Lawrence County | 16,167 | 2,381 | 2,311 | 2,217 |
| Martin County | 9,671 | 991 | 1,735 | 1,639 |
| Dubois County | 436 | 2,018 | 2,067 | 1,823 |
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 Hoosier National Forest?
Nearest towns: Leopold (next to it), Grantsburg (next to it), Birdseye (next to it) and Eckerty (next to it). Highways within 5 miles: I-64, US 50, US 150, US 231 and IN 37.
What other public land is near Hoosier National Forest?
Properties open to public hunting within 10 miles:
- Martin State Forest: 9,745 acres, next to it
- Ferdinand State Forest: 7,893 acres, next to it
- Patoka Lake: 25,983 acres, next to it
- Yellowwood State Forest: 24,360 acres, next to it
- Morgan-Monroe State Forest: 24,729 acres, next to it
- Harrison-Crawford State Forest: 24,240 acres, next to it
Public land within 3 miles of Hoosier National Forest
Counting Hoosier National Forest itself, 272,294 of the 1,025,906 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (26.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting property boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Properties open to public hunting (DNR map) | 235,590 |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 20,751 |
| State parks | 8,433 |
| National forest | 4,589 |
| Other DNR land | 2,612 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 275 |
| County, city and regional land | 44 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Hoosier National Forest?
In Perry, Orange, Crawford, Jackson, Monroe, Brown, Lawrence, Martin and Dubois counties, next to Leopold.
What can you hunt on Hoosier National Forest?
The DNR lists: Quail, rabbit, squirrel, deer, dove, turkey, woodcock, waterfowl. Night hunting for raccoon and fox.
How much public land is around Hoosier National Forest?
272,294 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Hoosier National Forest included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting property boundaries. The closest other public hunting property is Martin State Forest (next to it).
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 facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Hoosier National 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.
Indiana hunting Perry County Orange County Crawford County Jackson County Monroe County Brown County Lawrence County Martin County Dubois County