Deer Hunting Season Dates
- Reduction Zone Season: Sept. 15, 2025 - Jan. 31, 2026 (where open)
- Archery Season: Oct. 1, 2025 - Jan. 4, 2026
- Firearms Season: Nov. 15 - Nov. 30, 2025
- Muzzleloader Season: Dec. 6- Dec. 21, 2025
Deer Hunting Regulations Changes
Indiana DNR has made big changes to Indiana’s deer hunting rules. These changes are in effect for the 2025-2026 hunting season. The changes were made, in part, to make Indiana’s hunting regulations easier to understand. The rule changes include:
- The statewide bag limit is now 6 antlerless deer and 1 antlered deer.
- A newly created county antlerless bag limit replaces the season antlerless bag limits and county bonus antlerless quotas. Because of this change, the new multi-season antlerless license has replaced the bonus antlerless license.
- Antlerless deer cannot be taken with a firearm during firearms season at Fish & Wildlife areas.
- Only 1 antlered and 2 antlerless deer can be taken with the bundle license.
- The use of crossbow equipment is now allowed using the archery license.
- Portable tree stands and ground blinds can now be placed on DNR properties in Deer Reduction Zones between noon Sept. 1 and Feb. 8.
- State law prohibits the use of drones (unmanned aerial aircraft) to search for, scout, locate or detect a wild animal during the hunting season and for 14 days prior to the hunting season for that animal.
- Hunters can now use rifles with a centerfire cartridge that has a bullet diameter of .219 inches (5.56 mm) or larger on both public and private lands.
Note that the change to cartridge diameters resulted from a bill enacted by state law, IC 14-22-2-8. For questions about equipment, regulations or changes in them, or which license you need, contact the Deer Information Line at INDeerInfo@dnr.IN.gov or 812-334-3795.
Deer Reduction Zones Explained
Deer reduction zones (DRZs) are special areas where hunters can help manage high deer populations. Here’s what you need to know:
- Season Dates: The deer reduction zone season runs from Sept. 15, 2025, - Jan. 31, 2026.
- Bag Limit & Earn-A-Buck: In these zones, you can harvest up to 10 deer in addition to the statewide bag limit, but only one can be antlered. If you want to take an antlered deer, you first need to harvest an antlerless deer. This is called “earn-a-buck.”
- Licenses Needed: To hunt in a reduction zone and fulfill the DRZ bag limit, you must have one of the following licenses: a deer reduction zone license, a resident youth hunt/trap license, a lifetime comprehensive hunting license, or a lifetime comprehensive hunting and fishing license, or you must meet a license exemption. Note that the standard deer license bundle cannot be used to fulfill the reduction zone bag limit. You need a valid deer reduction zone license for each deer you take (e.g., you need 10 DRZ licenses to harvest 10 deer).
- Local Laws: The rules for the reduction zone do not override local laws about discharging projectiles. Make sure to follow any local regulations regarding the use of firearms or other equipment. You also need permission from the landowner to hunt on private property and to make sure that public lands you are going to hunt are open for hunting.
- Equipment Use: In these zones, you can use archery equipment from Sept. 15, 2025 – Jan. 31, 2026. Firearms and other legal hunting equipment can be used from Nov. 15, 2025 – Jan. 31, 2026.
- Hunter Orange Requirements: If you hunt from Nov. 15, 2025 – Jan. 31, 2026, within a DRZ, you must wear hunter orange clothing.
- Restrictions: There are specific rules about licenses when hunting on DNR-managed properties. Check with the property where you plan to hunt for details.
For more information and to see a map of the deer reduction zones, visit on.IN.gov/deer-reduction.
Reporting Deer Harvested in a Deer Reduction Zone
If you harvest a deer within a deer reduction zone, you need to follow these steps to check it in correctly:
- Check-In Requirement: You must register your deer through the CheckIN Game system online at GoOutdoorsIN.com or by calling 260-368-5880. You need to indicate whether the deer was harvested in a reduction zone.
- Count Toward Bag Limit: You must decide if you want your deer to count toward your limit for the zone. If you’re using the zone to take a second antlered deer or to reach your limit for antlerless deer, make sure to count those deer toward the zone limit when you check them in.
- Not Counting Toward Bag Limit: If you’re hunting in a deer reduction zone but don’t want your harvested deer to count toward the zone limit, or if you’re using a license that isn’t valid for the reduction zone, you should indicate that the deer will not count toward the limit.
Deer Disease Updates
Testing for chronic wasting disease
Chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal disease impacting white-tailed deer, has been detected in wild deer in two areas of Indiana: LaGrange County and Posey County. These detections resulted in a CWD Positive Area including LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, and DeKalb counties and a one-year CWD Enhanced Surveillance Zone including Posey, Vanderburgh, and Gibson counties. DNR offers free, statewide CWD testing for hunters by either taking your deer to one of DNR’s drop-off coolers at select Fish & Wildlife areas (FWAs), state parks, state fish hatcheries (SFHs) or through advertised private businesses such as taxidermists. These options are available during all seasons. View the statewide 2025-2026 sampling locations and their hours of operation via the interactive map at on.IN.gov/CWD. If you hunt in a CWD Enhanced Surveillance Zone, there are multiple options for having your deer tested:
- Submit your deer’s head to a DNR drop-off cooler (all seasons). Find these locations on our interactive map at on.IN.gov/CWD and on the table below. Please note the type of station listed on the table below.
- Refer to the list of private businesses that are taking samples in this zone (all seasons). Find these locations on our interactive map at on.IN.gov/CWD.
- Bring your checked-in deer to a DNR-staffed check station at the these locations during open firearms weekend only (Nov. 15 and 16)
Alternatively, hunters may independently submit their deer to the Purdue Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab (ADDL) for testing, for a fee. To do so, hunters should complete the submission form and follow the shipping instructions on Purdue ADDL’s website.
Deer data dashboards
Our online deer data dashboards are now live with information from the 2024-25 harvest season, as well as the latest After Hunt Survey and Annual Deer Survey. The data includes harvest data, population trends, deer-vehicle collisions, deer damage permits, public opinion on deer management, and other useful information at the county and statewide levels. Use the buttons below to view the data:
Questions and Concerns
For questions about equipment, regulations, or which license you need, contact the Deer Information line by emailing INDeerInfo@dnr.IN.gov or calling 812-334-3795. For questions related to harvest reporting, your online account, or license-purchasing errors, call 317-232-4200 or 877-463-6367 or email INHuntFish@dnr.IN.gov. For questions about reserved hunts, email DFWReservedHunts@dnr.IN.gov or call 812-486-9648.
Got a TIP? Report a poacher or polluter
Turn in a Poacher (TIP) protects fish and wildlife resources by increasing public support and involvement in bringing violators to justice. If you have evidence of a poacher or polluter, you can report potential violations by calling 1-800-TIP-IDNR (800-847-4367) or by filing a complaint at tip.IN.gov. If your anonymous information leads to an arrest, you may receive as much as a $500 reward.