Indiana hunting and fishing laws
The Indiana rules that catch people out, in plain English: hunter education, minimum age, blaze orange, Sunday hunting, shooting hours, baiting, night hunting, tagging and private land. Each one links to the state's own text.
Season dates for 2026-27. Page updated October 12, 2026.
These pages sum up the rules to help you find them. They are not legal advice. The state's own regulations govern, so check them before you go.
Hunter education in Indiana
Anyone born after Dec. 31, 1986 must successfully complete a DNR-offered hunter education class to purchase a hunting license. An apprentice may buy an apprentice hunting license without having to take a hunter education class, up to three times, and must be in close proximity to and able to communicate with a licensed hunter at least 18 years old at all times.
Minimum hunting age in Indiana
Anyone born after Dec. 31, 1986 must pass a DNR hunter education course or buy an apprentice license (up to three in a lifetime) and stay close to a licensed hunter 18 or older. Youth under 13 may accompany a licensed hunter 18 or older without a license if they carry no bow or firearm. Residents 17 and under can buy the youth hunt/trap license.
Blaze orange in Indiana
Hunters must wear one or more of the following items that is solid fluorescent orange in color and exposed at all times as an outer garment: vest, coat, jacket, coveralls, hat, or cap. The orange must be solid (not camouflage patterned) and visible at all times, so camo-pattern fluorescent orange does not satisfy the rule. There is no square-inch figure and blaze pink is not mentioned.
The orange requirement applies during the deer firearms, muzzleloader, youth and deer reduction zone seasons; during fall turkey when it overlaps the deer muzzleloader season; during the rabbit, pheasant, quail and woodcock seasons; and during part of the squirrel season. An archery-only exemption is implied but was not explicitly verified.
Sunday hunting in Indiana
Not verified. Indiana's guide and season list show no Sunday closure, but no DNR statement that Sunday hunting is allowed was found. Confirm with the official regulations before you hunt.
Shooting hours in Indiana
The legal deer hunting hours in Indiana are from half an hour before sunrise until half an hour after sunset, and bobcat hours are the same. Turkey runs from a half hour before sunrise to sunset, waterfowl from a half hour before sunrise to sunset, teal sunrise to sunset, and furbearers have no time restrictions.
Baiting in Indiana
Applies to: Deer
It is against the law to use snares, salt, or bait to attract and harvest deer. An area is considered baited for 10 days after bait removal and may be hunted on day 11. There is no bear season in Indiana.
Night hunting in Indiana
It is illegal for a person to deliberately cast a spotlight or other artificial light from a motor vehicle if in possession of any firearm, bow, or crossbow. Spotlight use to take wild animals is prohibited, with furbearing mammals excluded from that restriction.
Tagging and reporting a harvest in Indiana
Applies to: Deer
Create a temporary transportation tag immediately after harvest with name, address, deer sex, license number and harvest date. After harvesting a deer, you must check it in with the DNR within 48 hours, via GoOutdoorsIN.com, phone (260) 368-5880, or a check station. The deer's head must stay attached to the body until you have checked in the deer and received your confirmation number.
Hunting on private land in Indiana
It is illegal to hunt, trap, chase, or retrieve game on private land without the consent of the landowner or tenant. Indiana landowners may mark property boundaries with purple paint to indicate no trespassing.
Can you show your Indiana license on your phone?
Digital license yes. Handwritten tag; check in online.
Hunters “must carry a physical or digital license or license hard card.” After a deer harvest you must make a temporary tag (name, address, sex of deer, license number, date) and keep it with you; “you must check it in with the DNR within 48 hours” online through CheckIN Game, by phone, or in person, and keep the confirmation number with the deer. The GoOutdoorsIN app lets hunters buy licenses and check in harvest from a phone.
Phone or card license; handwritten deer tag
Indiana hunting season dates, 2026-27
The main seasons, from the state's published dates. Zones and units can differ; each season links to the state's own page for it.
| Season | Dates | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer — archery | Oct 1, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027 | Statewide | |
| Deer — firearms | Nov 14 – Nov 29, 2026 | Statewide | Hunter orange required |
| Deer — muzzleloader | Dec 5 – Dec 20, 2026 | Statewide | |
| Turkey — spring | Apr 21 – May 9, 2027 | Statewide | Youth season April 17-18, 2027 |
| Turkey — fall firearms | Oct 21 – Nov 1, 2026 | Open counties only | Fall archery Oct 1 - Nov 1 and Dec 5 - Jan 3 statewide |
| Pheasant | Nov 1 – Dec 15, 2026 | Statewide | |
| Dove — first segment | Sep 1 – Oct 18, 2026 | Statewide | Also Nov 1-29 and Dec 19-31 |
| Ducks — North Zone | Oct 24 – Dec 13, 2026 | North Zone | Second segment Dec 19-27 |
| Ducks — South Zone | Nov 28, 2026 – Jan 24, 2027 | South Zone | Also Nov 7-8; Central Zone Oct 31 - Nov 8, Nov 21 - Jan 10 |
What you can hunt in Indiana
Big game
- White-tailed deer General season Multiple seasons and reduction zones
- Black bear No season No season; bears are protected
- Elk and moose No season No season
Upland and small game
- Wild turkey General season
- Pheasant General season
- Quail General season Region dependent
- Rabbit General season
- Squirrel General season
- Raccoon and opossum General season
- Crow General season
- Ruffed grouse No season Season suspended
Waterfowl and migratory
- Ducks and geese General season
- Brant General season
- Mourning dove General season
- Woodcock, snipe, rail General season
- Sandhill crane No season No season
- Mallard General season 4 a day, no more than 2 females, within the 6-duck bag
- American black duck General season 2 a day, within the 6-duck bag
- Mottled duck General season 1 a day, within the 6-duck bag
- Northern pintail General season 3 a day, within the 6-duck bag
- Wood duck General season 3 a day, within the 6-duck bag
- Canvasback General season 2 a day, within the 6-duck bag
- Redhead General season 2 a day, within the 6-duck bag
- Scaup General season 1 or 2 a day depending on zone and date
- Merganser General season 5 a day, separate from the duck limit; no more than 2 hooded
Furbearer and predator
- Coyote General season
- Red and gray fox General season
- Striped skunk General season
- Bobcat No season Trapping only, no hunting season
What you can fish for in Indiana
License plus a Trout and Salmon Stamp, statewide
Fishing licenses sold: 1-day, 7-day, Annual
Trout and char
- Brook and rainbow trout Needs a stamp Trout and Salmon Stamp
- Brown trout Needs a stamp
- Lake trout Needs a stamp
Salmon and anadromous
- Steelhead Needs a stamp
- Chinook and coho salmon Needs a stamp Lake Michigan
Warmwater
- Striped bass General season Reservoir fishery
- Largemouth and smallmouth bass General season
- Walleye General season
- Sauger and saugeye General season
- Northern pike General season
- Muskellunge General season One fish, 36 inch minimum
- Channel, blue and flathead catfish General season
- Crappie, bluegill and yellow perch General season
- White and hybrid striped bass General season
Other
- Lake sturgeon No season State endangered — release unharmed
Official Indiana links
Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife
Carry your Indiana license on your phone
Sportsmen Ledger holds your hunting and fishing licenses and tags, these rules and your harvest log, and it works with no signal. Free to start.
Compare with other states
- Hunter education requirements by state
- Minimum hunting age by state
- Blaze orange requirements by state
- Sunday hunting laws by state
- Legal shooting hours by state
- Baiting laws by state
- Night hunting laws by state
- Tagging and harvest reporting by state
- Hunting on private land, state by state
- Can you show your hunting or fishing license on your phone? Every state