Indiana Game Laws

Listed here are a few of the Indiana game laws. Fully familiarize yourself with all the regulations before you go hunting at the Indiana Department of Natural Resources website.

Spotlighting—It is illegal to spotlight any wild animal from a vehicle while possessing any firearm, bow, or crossbow.

Wanton Waste—It is illegal to kill or cripple any wild animal without making a reasonable effort to retrieve the animal to include in your daily bag limit. It is illegal, however, to enter private property without permission to retrieve downed game. Before you hunt, make sure you have permission to track game on land adjoining your hunting area.

Selling of Wild Game—Protected or regulated wild animals (live, dead, or the meat therefrom) cannot be sold, traded or bartered. (Exceptions: Lawfully taken furbearers, squirrel tails, deer hides, antlers, hooves, and cured game bird feathers may be sold.)

DNR and Federal Property Rules— Regulations may vary when hunting and trapping on some state or federal properties. Please check with the property manager for up-to-date regulations before hunting or trapping on state or federal areas.

Shooting Across Roads or Water—It is illegal to hunt, shoot at, or kill any animal or to shoot at any object from within, into, upon, or across any public road. It is illegal to shoot across a body of water except in the lawful pursuit of wildlife.

Magazine Plugs—When hunting for migratory game birds and waterfowl (dove, ducks, geese, woodcock, etc.), it is illegal to use a shotgun capable of holding more than three shells, unless it is plugged with a one-piece filler which is incapable of being removed without disassembling the gun. There are no restrictions on magazine capacity for hunting any other species.

Fluorescent Orange Requirements—To meet fluorescent orange (or “hunter orange”) clothing requirements, you must wear as an outer garment exposed at all times one or more of the following articles that are solid fluorescent orange in color: a vest, coat, jacket, coveralls, hat, or cap. Camouflage-patterned fluorescent orange garments do not satisfy the requirement. 

When hunting from a ground blind during a deer season requiring hunter orange, 144 square inches of hunter orange must be displayed on each side.

You must wear fluorescent orange if you are hunting:

• Deer
• Pheasant
• Quail
• Rabbit
• Squirrel
• Turkey (when fall turkey season overlaps a deer firearms season)
• Woodcock

Hunter Harassment Law—Legal hunting is protected by law. Indiana Code states that it is illegal to intentionally interfere with the legal taking of a game animal by another person. It is also illegal to intentionally disturb a game animal with the intent to prevent or hinder the legal taking of that game. Further, it is unlawful to enter public land or private land without permission of the owner with the intent to prevent or hinder the legal taking of game.

Hunting Without Consent—It is illegal to do the following upon privately owned land without having consent of the landowner:

• Hunting
• Fishing
• Trapping
• Chasing wildlife
• Searching for mushrooms or ginseng

Landowners may have their land posted for no trespassing with signs or purple paint. Purple paint must be visible, marked with at least an 8-inch vertical line 3 to 5 feet from the ground. Posts must have the top 2 inches marked with the bottom of the mark 3 to 5½ feet from the ground.

License Regulations—Log in to our current license regulations at www.in.gov/dnr/fish-and-wildlife/licenses-and-permits/sport-license-finder/.