Wells County, Indiana: deer harvest and public hunting land
Wells County covers 370 square miles around Bluffton. Hunters took 916 deer here in the 2025 season, 463 of them antlered, by the DNR's deer report. That is up 13% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 1.2% of Wells County is public land open to the public, the largest share properties open to public hunting (DNR map) (1,302 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting property boundaries.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: the DNR's deer reports, 2021 to 2025. Land: PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting property layer.
Properties open to public hunting (DNR map)Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakesState parksOther DNR landCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landWells CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 237,013 acres (370 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer taken, 2025 | 916 (463 antlered, 453 antlerless) |
| Public land | 1.2% (2,837 acres) |
| Public hunting properties | 1 (1,302 acres inside Wells County) |
| Towns in and near it | Bluffton, Ossian, Zanesville, Markle, Montpelier and Warren |
How many deer are harvested in Wells County?
Hunters took 916 deer in Wells County in 2025: 463 antlered and 453 antlerless (49% antlerless).
| Season | Deer taken | Antlered | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 916 | 463 | 453 |
| 2024 | 814 | 420 | 394 |
| 2023 | 836 | 392 | 444 |
| 2022 | 808 | 408 | 400 |
| 2021 | 643 | 319 | 324 |
Source: Indiana DNR White-tailed Deer Reports (2021 to 2025 seasons, Table 3-4), Wells County.
How much public land is in Wells County?
2,837 of Wells County's 237,013 acres are public land open to the public (1.2%). The biggest share is properties open to public hunting (DNR map): 1,302 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Wells County |
|---|---|---|
| Properties open to public hunting (DNR map) | 1,302 | 0.5% |
| State parks | 1,096 | 0.5% |
| County, city and regional land | 202 | 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 201 | 0.1% |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 21 | under 0.1% |
| Other DNR land | 15 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 2,837 | 1.2% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the county line from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and the DNR's public hunting property boundaries. Hunting rules differ by manager: properties on the DNR's public hunting map are open under the DNR's rules for each; national forest is open; refuges follow U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rules; Corps of Engineers lake land is open in many places under each project's own rules; state parks hold only special hunts; city and county land sets its own rules.
Properties open to public hunting in Wells County
Properties open to public hunting in Wells County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- J. Edward Roush Fish and Wildlife Area: 1,302 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: J. Edward Roush Recreation Area (1,310 acres).
How do you get to Wells County?
Highways through it: US 224 (about 14 miles inside) and I-69 (about 2 miles inside). Towns inside: Bluffton, Ossian, Zanesville, Uniondale, Poneto and Vera Cruz. Nearby: Markle (on the line), Montpelier (on the line), Warren (2 miles) and Van Buren (3 miles).
Which counties border Wells County?
Wells County touches 6 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jay County | 1,537 | 2025 | 0.1% |
| Adams County | 1,107 | 2025 | 0.1% |
| Allen County | 1,932 | 2025 | 1.7% |
| Grant County | 1,220 | 2025 | 0.7% |
| Blackford County | 602 | 2025 | 0% |
| Huntington County | 1,272 | 2025 | 6.8% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Wells County in 2025?
916: 463 antlered and 453 antlerless (DNR). In 2024: 814.
Is there public hunting land in Wells County?
2,837 acres, 1.2% of the county, are public land open to the public by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting property boundaries, the largest share properties open to public hunting (DNR map) (1,302 acres). The DNR's map shows 1 property open to public hunting here.
What is the deer bag limit in Wells County?
Indiana's statewide limit is 1 antlered and 6 antlerless deer; each county has its own antlerless limit within that, on the DNR's county antlerless bag limit list.
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Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Indiana included.
Where these numbers come from
- Deer harvest: Indiana DNR White-tailed Deer Reports (2021 to 2025 seasons, Table 3-4).
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and the DNR's public hunting property boundaries. DNR properties open to hunting: Indiana DNR properties with public hunting (managed lands layer).
- Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 cartographic county boundaries. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Numbers are copied from the DNR and the federal sources above, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
Indiana hunting Jay County Adams County Allen County Grant County Blackford County Huntington County