Pike State Forest: hunting and access
Pike State Forest is 5,033 acres open to public hunting in Pike and Gibson counties, next to Velpen, managed by the DNR's Division of Forestry. Hunters took 1,482 deer in Pike 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 landPike State ForestCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 5,033 acres in 10 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Pike County and Gibson County |
| Deer harvest unit | Pike County, Gibson County |
| DNR lists for hunting | Quail, Rabbit, Squirrel, Deer, Turkey and Raccoon |
| Managed by | the DNR's Division of Forestry |
| DNR contact | Ferdinand SF 812-367-1524 |
| On the property (DNR) | camping |
| Nearest towns | Velpen (next to it), Glezen (2 mi) and Winslow (2 mi) |
What can you hunt on Pike State Forest?
In the DNR's words: Quail, rabbit, squirrel, deer, turkey. Night hunting for raccoon.
What are the rules on Pike 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 Pike State Forest?
Pike State Forest lies in 2 counties. Hunters took 1,482 deer in Pike County in 2025, against 1,477 in 2024.
| County | Pike State Forest acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pike County | 4,946 | 1,482 | 1,477 | 1,590 |
| Gibson County | 87 | 1,273 | 1,287 | 1,246 |
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 Pike State Forest?
Nearest towns: Velpen (next to it), Glezen (2 miles), Winslow (2 miles) and Arthur (2 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-69.
What other public land is near Pike State Forest?
Properties open to public hunting within 10 miles:
- Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge: 9,041 acres, next to it
- Sugar Ridge Fish and Wildlife Area: 8,907 acres, next to it
- Interlake Off-Road State Recreation Area: 3,652 acres, 5.1 miles away
- Barnes-Seng Wetland Conservation Area: 179 acres, 9.3 miles away
- Glendale Fish and Wildlife Area: 8,116 acres, 9.3 miles away
- Oxbow Bottoms Wildlife Management Area: 151 acres, 9.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Pike State Forest
Counting Pike State Forest itself, 19,966 of the 99,270 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (20.1%), 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) | 19,207 |
| National wildlife refuges | 690 |
| Other DNR land | 69 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Pike State Forest?
In Pike and Gibson counties, next to Velpen.
What can you hunt on Pike State Forest?
The DNR lists: Quail, rabbit, squirrel, deer, turkey. Night hunting for raccoon.
How much public land is around Pike State Forest?
19,966 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Pike State Forest included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting property boundaries. The closest other public hunting property is Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge (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, Pike 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.