Select Indiana state park properties will temporarily close in the coming weeks so controlled deer management hunts can take place.
Each hunt runs two days. The first is on Monday, Nov. 16, and Tuesday, Nov. 17. The second is on Monday, Nov. 30, and Tuesday, Dec. 1. Participating state park properties will close to the general public on the evening before each of the two hunts.
Participating state park properties are: Brown County, Chain O’Lakes, Charlestown, Fort Harrison, Harmonie, Lincoln, McCormick’s Creek, Ouabache, Pokagon, Potato Creek, Prophetstown, Shades, Spring Mill, Turkey Run, Versailles, and Whitewater Memorial state parks, as well as Trine State Recreation Area.
These state park properties will reopen the morning after each two-day hunt. All Indiana state park properties not mentioned will be operating under normal hours.
Indiana DNR biologists evaluate which state park properties require a deer management hunt each year based on habitat recovery and previous harvest rates at each park property. The state park properties are home to numerous natural communities that serve as significant habitat. The deer management hunts help control browsing by deer to a level that ensures habitat for native plants and animals.
Only individuals selected from the draw may participate at any site.
A full report on the 2019 deer management hunts is at this link. The 2020 report will be available in March 2021.
Information regarding 2021 state park deer management hunts, including online applications, will be available next summer at on.IN.gov/reservedhunt. The application deadline is usually in mid-August of the year in which the hunts are to take place.