Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge: hunting and access
Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge is 7,710 acres open to public hunting in Jackson, Jennings and Monroe counties, 2 miles from Hayden, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Hunters took 1,232 deer in Jackson 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 lakesState parksOther DNR landCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landMuscatatuck National Wildlife RefugeCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 7,710 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Jackson County, Jennings County and Monroe County |
| Deer harvest unit | Jackson County, Jennings County, Monroe County |
| DNR lists for hunting | Quail, Rabbit, Squirrel, Deer and Turkey |
| Managed by | the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| DNR contact | Muscatatuck NWR 812-522-4352 |
| Nearest towns | Hayden (2 mi), Seymour (3 mi) and Rockford (3 mi) |
What can you hunt on Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge?
In the DNR's words: Quail, rabbit, squirrel. Deer and turkey hunting by permit only. See military/refuge deer hunt information on page 36 of the hunting guide.
What are the rules on Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge?
Antlerless deer may not be taken with a firearm during the firearms season on DNR Fish and Wildlife properties and at Mississinewa, Patoka and Salamonie lakes (DNR).
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 Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge?
Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge lies in 3 counties. Hunters took 1,232 deer in Jackson County in 2025, against 1,719 in 2024.
| County | Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County | 4,566 | 1,232 | 1,719 | 1,653 |
| Jennings County | 3,068 | 830 | 1,545 | 1,563 |
| Monroe County | 77 | 1,652 | 1,397 | 1,457 |
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 Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge?
Nearest towns: Hayden (2 miles), Seymour (3 miles), Rockford (3 miles) and Stinesville (4 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-65, US 31 and US 50.
What other public land is near Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge?
Properties open to public hunting within 10 miles:
- Morgan-Monroe State Forest: 24,729 acres, 0.9 miles away
- Cypress Lake Public Fishing Area: 96 acres, 4.9 miles away
- Hardy Lake: 2,169 acres, 7.7 miles away
- Crosley Fish and Wildlife Area: 4,202 acres, 7.8 miles away
- Jackson-Washington State Forest: 18,488 acres, 8.6 miles away
- Ravinia State Forest: 1,422 acres, 8.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge
Counting Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge itself, 9,291 of the 75,082 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (12.4%), 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) | 8,515 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 599 |
| National wildlife refuges | 160 |
| County, city and regional land | 17 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge?
In Jackson, Jennings and Monroe counties, 2 miles from Hayden.
What can you hunt on Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge?
The DNR lists: Quail, rabbit, squirrel. Deer and turkey hunting by permit only. See military/refuge deer hunt information on page 36 of the hunting guide.
How much public land is around Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge?
9,291 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting property boundaries. The closest other public hunting property is Morgan-Monroe State Forest (0.9 miles).
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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, Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge; 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 Jackson County Jennings County Monroe County