Deer Seasons, Licenses, & Equipment

Name: eRegulations
Price range: $

Deer Seasons, Licenses, & Equipment	Archery	Crossbow	Handgun	Muzzleloading Handgun	Muzzleloading Long Gun	Shotgun	Rifle	Air Guns
Youth Season – Sept. 24-25, 2022
Resident Youth Hunt/Trap License	•	•			•	•	•	•
Nonresident Youth Deer License (incl. Deer License Bundle)	•	•			•	•	•	•
Reduction Zone Season* – Sept. 15, 2022 - Jan. 31, 2023
Deer Reduction Zone License	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•
Lifetime Comprehensive Hunting License	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•
Lifetime Comprehensive Hunting/Fishing License	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•
Youth License	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•
Archery Season – Oct. 1, 2022 - Jan. 1, 2023
Archery License	•
Crossbow License		•
Lifetime Comprehensive Hunting License	•	•
Lifetime Comprehensive Hunting/Fishing License	•	•
Deer License Bundle	•	•
Bonus Antlerless License	•	•
Youth License	•	•
Firearms Season – Nov. 12-27, 2022
Firearms License (antlered deer only)			•	•	•	•	•	•
Lifetime Comprehensive Hunting License			•	•	•	•	•	•
Lifetime Comprehensive Hunting/Fishing License			•	•	•	•	•	•
Deer License Bundle			•	•	•	•	•	•
Bonus Antlerless License			•	•	•	•	•	•
Youth License			•	•	•	•	•	•
Muzzleloader Season – Dec. 3-18, 2022
Muzzleloader License				•	•
Lifetime Comprehensive Hunting License				•	•
Lifetime Comprehensive Hunting/Fishing License				•	•
Deer License Bundle				•	•
Bonus Antlerless License				•	•
Youth License				•	•
Special Antlerless Firearms Season – Closed
• Indicates the equipment that can be used during a season with a particular license. * If allowed by local ordinances, firearms may be used to hunt deer in designated Reduction Zones from Nov. 12, 2022 - Jan. 31, 2023. NOTE: The Bonus Antlerless License (and bonus county deer under the Deer License Bundle) may not be valid for all DNR properties. Contact the property you want to hunt for details.

Deer Bag Limits
Season	Bag Limit*
Youth Season	1 antlered deer AND the number of bonus antlerless deer per county quota; exceptions apply on some DNR properties
Reduction Zone Season	1 antlered deer (see “earn-a-buck” page 25) AND 9 antlerless deer OR 10 antlerless deer
Archery Season	2 antlerless deer OR 1 antlered and 1 antlerless deer
Firearms Season	1 antlered deer
Muzzleloader Season	1 antlered deer OR 1 antlerless deer
Special Antlerless Firearms Season	Closed in 2022-2023
Additional Opportunities
Bonus Antlerless Deer	1 antlerless deer per license not to exceed the bonus antlerless county quota; bonus deer can be taken during the archery, firearms, and muzzleloader seasons with the appropriate license
State Park Hunts	3 antlerless deer OR 2 antlerless and 1 antlered deer (reserved hunts; visit hunting.IN.gov)
Military/Refuge Properties (by reserved hunt drawing or invitation only)	1 deer of either sex per Military/Refuge Deer License
* Only 1 antlered deer per hunter may be taken during the youth, archery, firearms, and muzzleloader seasons combined. NOTE: A separate deer license is required prior to taking each deer (exceptions: deer license bundle, youth hunt/trap, lifetime license, landowner exemption).

Deer Equipment Chart
	Equipment	Specifications		Legal Season
Firearms	Rifle	PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LAND: Bullet diameter: .357” minimum Casing length: 1.16–1.8” • full metal jacketed bullets are illegal		Youth, firearms, deer reduction zone
		PRIVATE LAND ONLY: Bullet diameter: .243” (6 mm) minimum Casing length: 1.16-3” • a hunter must not possess more than 10 of these cartridges while hunting deer • full metal jacketed bullets are illegal
	Handgun	Barrel length: 4” minimum Bullet diameter: .243” minimum Case length: 1.16” minimum, except for 10 mm • 10 mm also legal cartridges (i.e. 10 mm Auto and .40 S&W) • rifles with barrel less than 18” are NOT considered handguns • .25-20 Winchester, .32-20 Winchester, .30 carbine, and .38 special ammunition are prohibited • NOT permitted for hunting on military areas		Firearms, deer reduction zone
	Shotgun	Bore: 10, 12, 16, 20, or 28 gauge or .410” • shooting slugs and saboted bullets only • combination rifle-shotguns are allowed		Youth, firearms, deer reduction zone
Muzzleloaders	Muzzleloading Rifle/Shotgun	Barrel caliber: .44” minimum Bullet diameter: .357” minimum • powder and bullet loaded from muzzle and single bullet* • saboted bullets permitted • multiple barreled guns permitted * can have powder loaded from the breech end only during the youth and firearms seasons		Youth, firearms, muzzleloader, deer reduction zone
	Muzzeloading Handgun	Barrel length: 12” minimum, measured from the base of the breech plug (excluding tangs and other projections to the end of the barrel, including the muzzle crown) Barrel caliber: .50” minimum Bullet diameter: .44” minimum • loaded from muzzle and single shot
Archery	Vertical Bow	Long bows, compound bows, or recurve bows and arrows	• bows drawn, held, or released by means other than by hand or hand-held releases may be used • arrows must have metal, metal-edged, napped flint, chert, or obsidian broadheads	Archery, youth, deer reduction zone
		Draw weight: 35 lbs. minimum
	Crossbow	Defined as a device for propelling an arrow by means of limbs mounted on a stock and a string, and having a working safety that may be drawn or held Draw weight: 125 lbs. minimum
Special	Air guns	Using non-ignited compressed air or other gas charged by external high compression power source Projectiles: Must shoot .40 caliber or larger single bullet generating 400 ft. lbs. of muzzle energy; or an arrow or bolt with a sharpened metal or metal-edged broadhead at minimum of 300 fps at release		Youth, firearms, deer reduction zone

Deer Hotline

If you need information about deer, take advantage of our Deer Hotline. Call 812-334-3795, 8:30 a.m - 4 p.m. ET, Monday-Friday or email [email protected] with your questions. Find additional information at deer.dnr.IN.gov.