Thomastown Bottoms Nature Preserve: hunting and access
Thomastown Bottoms Nature Preserve is 881 acres open to public hunting in Scott County, next to Austin, managed by the DNR's Division of Nature Preserves. Hunters took 539 deer in Scott 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)Other DNR landCounty, city and regional landThomastown Bottoms Nature PreserveCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 881 acres in 5 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Scott County |
| Deer harvest unit | Scott County |
| DNR lists for hunting | Rabbit, Squirrel, Deer, Woodcock, Turkey and Waterfowl |
| Managed by | the DNR's Division of Nature Preserves |
| DNR contact | Crosley FWA 812-346-5596 |
| Nearest towns | Austin (next to it), Little York (2 mi) and Scottsburg (3 mi) |
What can you hunt on Thomastown Bottoms Nature Preserve?
In the DNR's words: Rabbit, squirrel, deer, snipe, woodcock, turkey. Waterfowl hunting on ponds and marshes. Night hunting.
What are the rules on Thomastown Bottoms Nature Preserve?
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 Thomastown Bottoms Nature Preserve?
Thomastown Bottoms Nature Preserve lies in Scott County. Hunters took 539 deer in Scott County in 2025, against 765 in 2024.
| County | Thomastown Bottoms Nature Preserve acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott County | 881 | 539 | 765 | 749 |
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 Thomastown Bottoms Nature Preserve?
Nearest towns: Austin (next to it), Little York (2 miles), Scottsburg (3 miles) and Crothersville (4 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-65 and US 31.
What other public land is near Thomastown Bottoms Nature Preserve?
Properties open to public hunting within 10 miles:
- Austin Bottoms Conservation Area: 4,535 acres, next to it
- Jackson-Washington State Forest: 18,488 acres, 1.7 miles away
- Clark State Forest: 24,804 acres, 3.7 miles away
- Hardy Lake: 2,169 acres, 6.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Thomastown Bottoms Nature Preserve
Counting Thomastown Bottoms Nature Preserve itself, 3,360 of the 33,338 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (10.1%), 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) | 3,323 |
| County, city and regional land | 28 |
| Other DNR land | 9 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Thomastown Bottoms Nature Preserve?
In Scott County, next to Austin.
What can you hunt on Thomastown Bottoms Nature Preserve?
The DNR lists: Rabbit, squirrel, deer, snipe, woodcock, turkey. Waterfowl hunting on ponds and marshes. Night hunting.
How much public land is around Thomastown Bottoms Nature Preserve?
3,360 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Thomastown Bottoms Nature Preserve 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
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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: 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.