Hunting in Indiana: 4 Animals To Hunt in the Spring

Indiana provides hunters with over 670,000 acres of public land and over 100 fish and wildlife areas. That may not be as much as neighboring states but it still gives hunting enthusiasts plenty of opportunity to practice their hobby.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) manages this expanse of land with a goal of providing hunters with an efficient experience while also protecting local animal species.

While hunting on public land is one option, hunters also have the ability to use private land, which is sometimes helpful during popular seasons.

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Here are four animals to hunt in the spring on public or private land in Indiana:

1. Crow
Open season begins in December and runs until March with no daily bag limit. Crows may be taken outside of their season if they’re caught damaging trees, crops, or livestock. There are also no restrictions dictating the use of calls, decoys, or firearm types.

2. River Otter
River otter season starts in mid-November and expires in mid-March. The daily bag limit for river otters is two per season per hunter. The bag limit helps keep river otter populations robust, as it was once an endangered species in the state. Now their numbers have spiked, marking the river otter a true conservation success story.

3. Striped Skunk
Skunk season starts in mid-October and ends in mid-March, along with many other furbearer seasons. There is no daily bag limit or possession limit for skunks in Indiana. The striped skunk is noted for being one of the easiest furbearers to trap, as it easily falls victim to various techniques, including dirt holes, bait stakes, and burrow sets.

4. Wild Turkey
While some wild turkey seasons transpire in the winter, there’s still opportunity for hunters in the spring, especially for young hunters. Youth turkey hunting takes place in the middle of April and lasts for two days. For all hunters, the spring season opens at the end of April once youth hunting has ended, and runs through the beginning of May. All hunters, adult or youths, have a bag limit of one turkey, bearded or male, per season.

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This article is for information only. Please check current regulations before hunting.

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