Owen-Putnam State Forest: hunting and access
Owen-Putnam State Forest is 6,710 acres open to public hunting in Owen and Putnam counties, 4 miles from Poland, managed by the DNR's Division of Nature Preserves and the DNR's Division of Forestry. Hunters took 2,277 deer in Owen 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)State parksOther DNR landLand trusts and other open landOwen-Putnam State ForestCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 6,710 acres in 18 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Owen County and Putnam County |
| Deer harvest unit | Owen County, Putnam County |
| DNR lists for hunting | Rabbit, Squirrel, Deer, Turkey and Raccoon |
| Managed by | the DNR's Division of Nature Preserves and the DNR's Division of Forestry |
| DNR contact | Owen-Putnam SF 812-829-2462 |
| On the property (DNR) | camping |
| Nearest towns | Poland (4 mi), Cloverdale (4 mi) and Patricksburg (4 mi) |
What can you hunt on Owen-Putnam State Forest?
In the DNR's words: Rabbit, squirrel, deer, turkey. Night hunting for raccoon.
What are the rules on Owen-Putnam 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 Owen-Putnam State Forest?
Owen-Putnam State Forest lies in 2 counties. Hunters took 2,277 deer in Owen County in 2025, against 1,922 in 2024.
| County | Owen-Putnam State Forest acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owen County | 6,168 | 2,277 | 1,922 | 1,610 |
| Putnam County | 542 | 2,721 | 2,368 | 2,203 |
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 Owen-Putnam State Forest?
Nearest towns: Poland (4 miles), Cloverdale (4 miles), Patricksburg (4 miles) and Spencer (4 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 231, I-70, US 40 and IN 46.
What other public land is near Owen-Putnam State Forest?
Properties open to public hunting within 10 miles:
- Cagles Mill Lake: 6,401 acres, next to it
- Deer Creek Fish and Wildlife Area: 2,162 acres, 2.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Owen-Putnam State Forest
Counting Owen-Putnam State Forest itself, 13,689 of the 113,134 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (12.1%), 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) | 13,220 |
| State parks | 220 |
| Other DNR land | 142 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 107 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Owen-Putnam State Forest?
In Owen and Putnam counties, 4 miles from Poland.
What can you hunt on Owen-Putnam State Forest?
The DNR lists: Rabbit, squirrel, deer, turkey. Night hunting for raccoon.
How much public land is around Owen-Putnam State Forest?
13,689 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Owen-Putnam State Forest included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting property boundaries. The closest other public hunting property is Cagles Mill Lake (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, Owen-Putnam 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.