Pheasant
Pheasant season is from Nov. 9 to Dec. 23, 2012. A valid hunting license and Indiana game bird habitat stamp privilege are required to hunt pheasants. Hunter orange clothing requirements must be met while hunting pheasants. The daily bag limit for pheasants is two male (cock) pheasants.
It is illegal to shoot female pheasants (hens), except during put-and-take hunts in designated areas. If you take a pheasant, you must leave the head and head plumage attached while you are transporting the bird. There are no equipment or ammunition restrictions for pheasant hunting. A 12- or 20-gauge shotgun loaded with 4- to 6-size shot is recommended.
Put-and-Take
Pheasants are released for put-and-take hunting on Atterbury, Glendale, J. E. Roush Lake, Pigeon River (west of Indiana 3), Tri-County, Willow Slough and Winamac FWAs. The cost for put-and-take hunts is $25 per person and the bag limit is two birds. A hunter filling his/her limit in the put-and-take hunt may not take any more pheasants that day.
Hunters can reserve put-and-take pheasant hunts online from Sept. 1 until midnight on Nov. 24 at hunting.IN.gov. Hunts are no longer available first-come, first-served at the property.
Hunters can select the date, property, and area for their hunt. Pheasant hunting season is extended on Atterbury and Glendale until Jan. 15. The bag limit for put-and-take pheasant hunting is two birds of either sex.
Game Bird Area Pheasant
The Division of Fish and Wildlife conducts special reserved pheasant hunts on game bird habitat areas in northern Indiana (Benton, Newton and White counties). Hunters can apply online at hunting.IN.gov.
Quail
Quail hunting is divided into two regions – north and south. State Route 26 is the dividing line. The north region season is from Nov. 9 to Dec. 23, 2012. The south region season is from Nov. 9, 2012 to Jan. 15, 2013.
A valid hunting license and an Indiana game bird habitat stamp privilege are required to hunt quail in Indiana. Hunter orange clothing requirements must be met while hunting quail.
There are no equipment or ammunition restrictions for quail hunting. A 12- or 20-gauge shotgun loaded with 6- to 9-size shot is recommended.
Ruffed grouse season on public land is Oct. 1 to Nov. 16, 2012 and Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2012 on private land. Ruffed grouse may be hunted only in the following counties:
- Bartholomew
- Brown
- Clark
- Crawford
- Jackson
- Jefferson
- Johnson
- LaGrange
- Lawrence
- Martin
- Monroe
- Morgan
- Ohio
- Orange
- Owen
- Perry
- Scott
- Steuben
- Switzerland
- Washington
Ruffed grouse may be hunted in these portions of the following counties:
- Dearborn (south of U.S. 50)
- Greene (east of U.S. 231)
- Jennings (south of U.S. 50)
- Putnam (south of U.S. 40)
- Ripley (south of U.S. 50)
Pigeon River FWA area is closed to ruffed grouse hunting.
A valid hunting license and game bird habitat stamp privilege are required, and hunter orange clothing requirements must be met.
There are no equipment or ammunition restrictions for ruffed grouse hunting. A 12- or 20-gauge shotgun loaded with 6- to 7½-size shot is recommended.
Other Wild Birds
English sparrows, European starlings and feral pigeons (except homing pigeons) may be killed at any time. Brown-headed cowbirds, common grackles, red-winged blackbirds, Brewer’s blackbirds and crows may be controlled without a permit when they are damaging trees or crops, or creating a public health hazard. All other non-game species of birds not otherwise covered in this regulation are protected by state or federal law and may not be killed.
Crow
Crow hunting season is Jul. 1 through Aug. 15, 2012 and Dec. 13, 2012 through Mar. 1, 2013. Crows may be taken outside of the hunting season only if they are damaging trees, crops, livestock or wildlife or creating a public health hazard. There are no restrictions on use of calls or decoys. You are not required to have a state stamp privilege or federal stamp. You may take crows with a bow and arrow, crossbow or firearm.
