Where do I buy a Indiana hunting license?

Indiana hunting licenses and tags are sold by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) through its official licensing site. Buy direct from the agency rather than a reseller, and complete hunter education first if your birth year requires it.

When is Indiana hunting season?

Seasons differ by species, weapon and zone, and the Indiana season dates change every year. Our Indiana deer guide summarizes the 2025-26 deer season structure; for every other species, check the current Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) regulations before you plan a hunt.

What can you hunt in Indiana?

Besides white-tailed deer, our species guides single out Indiana for eastern gray squirrel. Each species guide explains tags, seasons and tactics.

Where is public hunting land in Indiana?

Good starting points include Hoosier National Forest, Yellowwood State Forest, Glendale Fish & Wildlife Area. Confirm access rules, closures and special regulations with the managing agency before you go.

Hunting · State by State

Indiana Hunting Guide

What to hunt in Indiana, what it costs, the laws that matter and where the public land is — with the official Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) links.

Over-the-counter tags, five overlapping seasons, and a mix of farmland and hardwood-hill country make Indiana a reliable Midwest whitetail option.

Northern and central Indiana are dominated by row-crop farmland — corn and soybeans — with woodlots and fencerows providing travel corridors; deer densities here are among the highest in the state.

Agency: Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
Region: Midwest
Deer rank: #14 of 50
Species guides: 2

Indiana hunting license and tag costs

Deer license and tag prices as last reviewed. Other species' permits are listed in the agency fee schedule.

License / tag	Price
Resident deer license (bundle)	approx. $24
Nonresident deer license (bundle)	approx. $150
Additional antlerless license (where available)	approx. $16-24 resident / higher for nonresident

Indiana hunting laws to know

Rules that catch hunters out most often. Not a substitute for the regulations book.

Topic	Rule
Blaze orange	Not legally mandated for deer hunters in Indiana, though hunter orange is strongly recommended during firearms season, especially on public land.
Baiting	Legal on private land in most of the state; prohibited on DNR-managed properties and in some CWD-monitoring areas.
Crossbows	Legal for all hunters during archery season and any firearms season, no permit required.
Sunday hunting	Allowed statewide with no blanket Sunday closure.
Legal firearms	Shotguns, rifles chambered for straight-wall or specified cartridges, muzzleloaders, and handguns meeting caliber minimums are legal during firearms season; check current equipment rules for exact chamberings.
Tagging/reporting	All deer must be reported through CheckIN Game (phone or online) before the carcass is transported from the point of kill in most circumstances.
CWD carcass transport	Carcass and high-risk-part movement is restricted from any DNR-designated CWD management zone; deboned meat and cleaned skulls/antlers can typically be moved.
Hunter education	Required for anyone born after 1986, unless hunting under Indiana's apprentice license program.

Indiana deer season structure (2025-26)

Exact dates and county-specific antlerless quotas shift slightly each year; always confirm current-year dates on the Indiana DNR Deer Hunting Seasons page before you hunt.

Season	Weapon	Typical window
Youth season	Any legal deer-hunting equipment	Sept. 27–28, 2025
Archery	Bow / crossbow	Oct. 1, 2025 – Jan. 4, 2026
Firearms season	Shotgun, rifle, handgun (per equipment rules)	Nov. 15–30, 2025
Muzzleloader season	Muzzleloader	Early-to-mid December 2025, 9 days
Late antlerless-only season	Any legal equipment	Late December 2025 – Jan. 4, 2026

What you can hunt in Indiana

Deer — White-tailed deer
Excellent · ranked #14 of 50 for deer.
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Strong mast-producing hardwood forest with good public access
Access: Over-the-counter small-game license

Public hunting land in Indiana

Indiana's public land is concentrated in the hill country of the south, with Hoosier National Forest and a network of state fish & wildlife areas providing the bulk of accessible ground for traveling hunters.

Hoosier National Forest
National forest · South-central Indiana
Roughly 200,000 acres of rugged, timbered ridges across multiple counties, Indiana's largest contiguous block of public hunting land.
Official page
Yellowwood State Forest
State forest · South-central Indiana
Over 23,000 acres adjacent to Brown County State Park, known for mature hardwoods and solid buck numbers.
Glendale Fish & Wildlife Area
Fish & wildlife area · Southern Indiana
Mixed bottomland, timber, and managed wetlands offering diverse deer habitat with moderate pressure.
Pigeon River Fish & Wildlife Area
Fish & wildlife area · Northeastern Indiana
Wetlands and hardwoods in the state's northeast corner, popular with archery hunters chasing farmland-edge deer.
Crosley Fish & Wildlife Area
Fish & wildlife area · Southeastern Indiana
Rolling hill-country public ground near the Ohio border with a mix of fields and timber.

Official Indiana links

Last reviewed 2026-02.

Nearby state hunting guides

Questions

Frequently asked

Where do I buy a Indiana hunting license?: Indiana hunting licenses and tags are sold by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) through its official licensing site. Buy direct from the agency rather than a reseller, and complete hunter education first if your birth year requires it.
When is Indiana hunting season?: Seasons differ by species, weapon and zone, and the Indiana season dates change every year. Our Indiana deer guide summarizes the 2025-26 deer season structure; for every other species, check the current Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) regulations before you plan a hunt.
What can you hunt in Indiana?: Besides white-tailed deer, our species guides single out Indiana for eastern gray squirrel. Each species guide explains tags, seasons and tactics.
Where is public hunting land in Indiana?: Good starting points include Hoosier National Forest, Yellowwood State Forest, Glendale Fish & Wildlife Area. Confirm access rules, closures and special regulations with the managing agency before you go.