Morgan-Monroe State Forest: hunting and access
Morgan-Monroe State Forest is 24,729 acres open to public hunting in Monroe, Morgan and Brown counties, 2 miles from Martinsville, managed by the DNR's Division of Nature Preserves and the DNR's Division of Forestry. Hunters took 1,652 deer in Monroe 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 forestFederal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakesState parksOther DNR landCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landMorgan-Monroe State ForestCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 24,729 acres in 39 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Monroe County, Morgan County and Brown County |
| Deer harvest unit | Monroe County, Morgan County, Brown County |
| DNR lists for hunting | Quail, Squirrel, Deer, Turkey and Raccoon |
| Managed by | the DNR's Division of Nature Preserves and the DNR's Division of Forestry |
| DNR contact | Morgan-Monroe SF 765-342-4026 |
| On the property (DNR) | camping |
| Nearest towns | Martinsville (2 mi), Painted Hills (3 mi) and Paragon (4 mi) |
What can you hunt on Morgan-Monroe State Forest?
In the DNR's words: Quail, squirrel, deer, turkey. Night hunting for raccoon.
What are the rules on Morgan-Monroe 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 Morgan-Monroe State Forest?
Morgan-Monroe State Forest lies in 3 counties. Hunters took 1,652 deer in Monroe County in 2025, against 1,397 in 2024.
| County | Morgan-Monroe State Forest acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County | 19,297 | 1,652 | 1,397 | 1,457 |
| Morgan County | 5,114 | 1,701 | 1,461 | 1,387 |
| Brown County | 318 | 1,400 | 1,490 | 1,343 |
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 Morgan-Monroe State Forest?
Nearest towns: Martinsville (2 miles), Painted Hills (3 miles), Paragon (4 miles) and Browns Crossing (4 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IN 67.
What other public land is near Morgan-Monroe State Forest?
Properties open to public hunting within 10 miles:
- Hoosier National Forest: 202,389 acres, next to it
- Yellowwood State Forest: 24,360 acres, next to it
- Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge: 7,710 acres, 0.9 miles away
- Monroe Lake: 1,210 acres, 2.3 miles away
- Ravinia State Forest: 1,422 acres, 4.9 miles away
- Mountain Tea State Forest: 1,225 acres, 9.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Morgan-Monroe State Forest
Counting Morgan-Monroe State Forest itself, 57,851 of the 186,629 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (31%), 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) | 46,588 |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 8,883 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 917 |
| County, city and regional land | 731 |
| Other DNR land | 600 |
| National forest | 119 |
| State parks | 10 |
| National wildlife refuges | 3 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Morgan-Monroe State Forest?
In Monroe, Morgan and Brown counties, 2 miles from Martinsville.
What can you hunt on Morgan-Monroe State Forest?
The DNR lists: Quail, squirrel, deer, turkey. Night hunting for raccoon.
How much public land is around Morgan-Monroe State Forest?
57,851 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Morgan-Monroe State Forest included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting property boundaries. The closest other public hunting property is Hoosier National 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, Morgan-Monroe 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.