Jackson-Washington State Forest: hunting and access
Jackson-Washington State Forest is 18,488 acres open to public hunting in Washington and Jackson counties, next to Brownstown, managed by the DNR's Division of Nature Preserves and the DNR's Division of Forestry. Hunters took 2,616 deer in Washington 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 wildlife refugesOther DNR landCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landJackson-Washington State ForestCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 18,488 acres in 18 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Washington County and Jackson County |
| Deer harvest unit | Washington County, Jackson County |
| DNR lists for hunting | Quail, Rabbit, Dove, Squirrel, Deer, Turkey, Woodcock, Waterfowl and Raccoon |
| Managed by | the DNR's Division of Nature Preserves and the DNR's Division of Forestry |
| DNR contact | Jackson-Washington SF 812-358-2160 |
| On the property (DNR) | archery range and camping |
| Nearest towns | Brownstown (next to it), Vallonia (next to it) and Little York (2 mi) |
What can you hunt on Jackson-Washington State Forest?
In the DNR's words: Quail, rabbit, dove, squirrel, deer, turkey and woodcock. Limited waterfowl hunting. Muscatatuck River access. Night hunting for raccoon.
What are the rules on Jackson-Washington State 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 Jackson-Washington State Forest?
Jackson-Washington State Forest lies in 2 counties. Hunters took 2,616 deer in Washington County in 2025, against 2,445 in 2024.
| County | Jackson-Washington State Forest acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County | 11,585 | 2,616 | 2,445 | 2,278 |
| Jackson County | 6,903 | 1,232 | 1,719 | 1,653 |
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 Jackson-Washington State Forest?
Nearest towns: Brownstown (next to it), Vallonia (next to it), Little York (2 miles) and Canton (3 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-65.
What other public land is near Jackson-Washington State Forest?
Properties open to public hunting within 10 miles:
- Austin Bottoms Conservation Area: 4,535 acres, next to it
- Clark State Forest: 24,804 acres, 1.1 miles away
- Thomastown Bottoms Nature Preserve: 881 acres, 1.7 miles away
- Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge: 7,710 acres, 8.6 miles away
- Hoosier National Forest: 202,389 acres, 9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Jackson-Washington State Forest
Counting Jackson-Washington State Forest itself, 24,825 of the 170,870 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (14.5%), 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) | 23,596 |
| Other DNR land | 1,215 |
| County, city and regional land | 14 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Jackson-Washington State Forest?
In Washington and Jackson counties, next to Brownstown.
What can you hunt on Jackson-Washington State Forest?
The DNR lists: Quail, rabbit, dove, squirrel, deer, turkey and woodcock. Limited waterfowl hunting. Muscatatuck River access. Night hunting for raccoon.
How much public land is around Jackson-Washington State Forest?
24,825 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Jackson-Washington State Forest included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting property boundaries. The closest other public hunting property is Austin Bottoms Conservation Area (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, Jackson-Washington 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.