2024-2025 Early Migratory Bird Hunting Seasons
Several migratory bird hunting seasons open in September:
The daily bag limit for Canada geese and brant in the aggregate is five, with no other limitations by species. The daily bag limit for light geese (snow and Ross’s geese) remains 20. The white-fronted goose season is closed in September.
Full migratory bird hunting season dates, as well as bag limits, are available on our website.
Green-winged teal, via Wikimedia Commons.
Before you go outdoors, remember to have your HIP Registration and waterfowl stamp or gamebird habitat stamp on hand. Find license information for migratory birds on our website.
Put/Take Pheasant Hunt Registration
It’s that time of year again: Registrations for the 2024 Put/Take Pheasant Hunts will open on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 7 a.m. ET and will continue to the end of the Put/Take Pheasant Hunt period or until hunts are sold out. This year’s hunts take place from Nov. 23 – Dec. 1, beginning the Saturday before Thanksgiving and continuing through the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Register online to view more reserved hunt information.
Registration costs $30 per registered hunter and is first-come, first-served. Once the daily hunter quota is reached, the area becomes unavailable. Hunters should print their registration confirmation sheet and bring it with them on the day of their hunts. The bag limit is two pheasants per person each day.
Participating Fish & Wildlife areas include Atterbury, Glendale, J.E. Roush Lake, Pigeon River, Tri-County, Willow Slough, and Winamac. To find out more information regarding the Put/Take Pheasant Hunt, please contact the property you are interested in hunting.
New state record spotted gar
Fort Wayne resident Kyle Hammond caught a 9-pound, 11-ounce spotted gar on Rivir Lake in Chain O’Lakes State Park on July 11, besting the previous Indiana state record of a 6-pound, 12.5-ounce fish caught in 2017 from a gravel pit in Vermillion County. Hammond, also a YouTuber, captured the catch on his channel, “Indiana Kayak Fishing Journal.” Hammond also holds the state record for shortnose gar.
Find your own fishing adventure for state record fish by visiting our Where to Fish map and submitting to the Record Fish program.
Reserved hunt applications open now
From now until Sept. 15, DNR is accepting online applications for waterfowl, gamebird, deer and Indiana Private Lands Access (IPLA) reserved draw hunting opportunities. These opportunities include hunts at Fish & Wildlife areas, Gamebird Habitat Area hunts and select opportunities on IPLA lands.
Keep these tips in mind to ensure a successful application submission:
- You must possess a hunting license that is valid for the hunt for which you are applying.
- While there is no fee to enter, you must add the hunt registration to your cart, and select “Proceed to Checkout” until you see the “Completed Hunt Registration Information” pop-up box. Make sure to submit your hunt registration to be entered into a draw.
- To sign up, find property fact sheets, look through past application numbers and draw results, or read answers to frequently asked questions, please visit IN.gov/reservedhunt.
Annual dressing of the blinds volunteer event, Kankakee Fish & Wildlife Area.
Sept. 28-29: Celebrate Indiana’s public lands
Calling all outdoor enthusiasts: Get ready for a special weekend! Sept. 28 celebrates National Public Lands Day (NPLD) and National Hunting and Fishing Day. Join DNR in celebrating the natural resources we all value. NPLD, Sept. 28, is a nationwide day of volunteer service and celebration of public lands. Join staff for organized volunteer events to celebrate throughout the month or head out on your own with family and friends to collect trash and care for a property.
National Hunting and Fishing Day, also Sept. 28, is a time to share your love of outdoor recreation with others. This falls on the last Free Fishing Day of the year. In recognition of the special weekend, you can also enjoy free entry to State Parks, State Recreation Areas, and State Forests on Sunday, Sept. 29.
Check out the DNR events calendar to learn more about public lands volunteer opportunities near you this September. Thank you for your stewardship of Indiana’s public lands, our state’s treasures for current and future generations to enjoy.
Photo courtesy of R3 Clearinghouse.
Venison processing workshops
In partnership with DNR, Purdue Cooperative Extension Service is once again sponsoring its award-winning series of September venison processing workshops. During each workshop, a deer will be skinned, butchered, and prepared in a variety of ways for participants to taste. Participants will learn about food safety and handling procedures, as well as hear an update on deer health issues. Instructors will teach participants how to safely process their own deer through a hands-on experience. Adult registration is $10, and children are admitted free of charge. All programs are 6-9 p.m. local time.
Dates and Locations:
- Tuesday, Sept. 10, Wayne County Fairgrounds – Kuhlman Center, 861 Salisbury Road North, Richmond, IN 47374
- Wednesday, Sept. 11, Noble County Fairgrounds, Merchant’s Building, 580 Fair St., Kendallville, IN 46755
- Thursday, Sept. 12, John S. Wright Forestry Center, 1007 N. 725 W., West Lafayette, IN 47906
Advance registration is encouraged. To reserve your spot for either location or obtain more information, please call Jonathan Ferris at 765-973-9281 or email him at ferrisj@purdue.edu.
LARE grants support local lake and stream projects
The Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) program announced its projects grantees in August. Organizations in 12 counties will receive $1,194,000 in grants to fund 18 lake, river, and watershed land treatment projects through LARE.
Many of the projects aim to improve water quality by reducing sediment and nutrient inputs, which will support fish and wildlife populations and improve recreational opportunities. Find more information about the projects on our LARE webpage.
Photo by Roger Getz.
Hunt for inspiration this season
Deer hunters, meet Roger Getz, a Valparaiso resident who checked in his 100th deer harvest in 2023. A self-taught hunter, Getz hunts on private property and collaborates with landowners on projects to help them manage their wildlife habitat.
Getz often gives most of the venison from his hunts to family, friends, and people from his church. His favorite memories from his hunting adventures involve other community members.
Learn more about Getz by visiting our Hunting & Trapping Guide web page, or find your new favorite hunting spot at on.IN.gov/where2hunt.
Eagle Scout works with DNR to improve fish habitat in Monroe Lake
Greenwood native Aaron Wilson, an avid bass angler and Eagle Scout from Boy Scout troop 245, combined his passion for fishing with community service to raise funds for, construct, and help install 20 fish habitat structures on Monroe Lake. In cooperation with DNR, Wilson logged approximately 120 hours of volunteer service through his project. Wilson’s 20 new structures help fill in gaps along a ½ mile stretch of a fish habitat enhancement area created by DNR in 2019 along Monroe Lake.
DNR is grateful for volunteers like Wilson who help conserve the resources they love. Find an interactive fish habitat map on our fish habitat enhancement webpage.
Join Division of Nature Preserves for a guided hike in Fayette County
Join the Indiana DNR Division of Nature Preserves and the National Natural Landmarks program for a free guided hike led by Roger Hedge and Matt Wyrick and partnering with Old-Growth Forest Network. Registration is required, and the event is limited to 30 hikers. Shrader-Weaver, a National Natural Landmark, contains a pioneer homestead, open fields, and woods. The 28-acre old-growth upland forest is beech-maple dominated. Large specimens of tulip, black cherry, black walnut, red elm, and bur oak are also present. The diverse shrub layer includes pawpaw, Virginia creeper, and spicebush. There is also a rich variety of spring wildflowers.
If you plan to register for the hike, be sure to wear appropriate clothing and footwear, such as hiking shoes. Bring water, sunscreen, bug spray, and binoculars and a hand lens, if you have them. There are two trails and no restroom facilities on site.
A least weasel caught on camera.
Finding Indiana’s rare and secretive species
Many of the small animals in Indiana listed as ‘state endangered’ or ‘species of special concern’ have elusive habits or low populations, making them difficult to find. Recently, DNR mammalogists and Purdue-Fort Wayne researchers came together with a new survey technique that helps collect this critical data.
By installing a small fencing system that works as a gateway with cameras, researchers can capture photos of the animals that enter the fencing. These photos are compiled and provide data about distribution, population, and habits of elusive species. Thanks to generous donations to the Indiana Nongame Wildlife Fund, a team of 3 researchers has already set up 100 of these stations across Indiana this summer. Data has already provided important updates to species distribution for Franklin’s ground squirrels and least weasels.
To support more conservation work like this project, consider donating to the Nongame Wildlife Fund.
Recent news releases
Epizootic hemorrhagic disease detected in deer in several areas of Indiana
Reserved hunt applications open Aug. 19
LARE grants to benefit 18 lake and stream projects
Fort Wayne angler catches state record spotted gar on Rivir Lake at Chain O’Lakes State Park
Upcoming events
- Sept. 7 – Guided hike: Shrader-Weaver Nature Preserve, Fayette County
- Sept. 9 – Flying WILD Workshop, Zionsville, Boone County
- Sept. 12 – Weed Wrangle, Jasper-Pulaski FWA
- Sept. 14 – Monarch Tagging, Tri-County FWA
- Sept. 17 – Full Moon Paddle, Hovey Lake FWA
- Sept. 28 – Midwest Walleye Challenge, Virtual
More
- Buy a license
- Hunting information
- Where to Hunt
- Fishing information
- Where to Fish
- Fish & Wildlife properties
The Indiana Natural Resources Foundation celebrates and preserves Indiana’s natural legacy by raising funds to support the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and its programs. Together, we have helped expand public lands, restore wildlife habitat, and create outdoor educational and recreational opportunities for Hoosiers.
About Fish and Wildlife Management in Indiana
Fish and wildlife management and public access are funded by fishing and hunting license revenue and also through the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs administered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. These programs collect excise taxes on sporting arms and ammunition, archery equipment, fishing equipment, and motor boat fuels. The money is distributed among state fish and wildlife agencies based on land size and the number of licensed anglers and hunters in each state. Find out more information about fish and wildlife management in Indiana at Wildlife.IN.gov.