Indiana · Public Land · 2026 Edition
Indiana Public Hunting Land 2026: WMAs & Access Rules
2 wildlife management areas tracked here, from 4,950 to 9,098 acres. A hunting license covers you on Indiana WMA land the same as anywhere else in the state — but read the access rules below before you assume that's all you need.
01 — Wildlife management areas
| Area | County | Acres | Species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goose Pond Fish & Wildlife Area | Greene | 9,098 | Waterfowl, Deer, Turkey, Dove, Small game |
| Atterbury Fish & Wildlife Area | Johnson | 4,950 | Deer, Turkey, Pheasant, Waterfowl, Dove, Small game |
Goose Pond is the bigger of the two and the newer — restored prairie and marsh near Linton, built around a 2016 visitor's center with an observation deck, and closer to a birding destination that happens to allow hunting than the reverse. Every deer taken here during firearms season comes through the draw, not open access. Atterbury, closer to Indianapolis in Johnson County, runs its own dedicated commercial shooting complex alongside the free archery range, and layers reserved hunts for dove, put-and-take pheasant and early turkey on top of the same mandatory daily sign-in Goose Pond uses. This list is a starting point, not IN DNR's full property inventory.
02 — Access rules beyond your hunting license
Indiana runs a tighter check-in system than most states here: every hunter must sign in at the property office or a self-service kiosk before entering the field, and several hunts — deer during firearms season, the first days of dove and turkey season, waterfowl, teal and upland game — are draw-only, either an advance online reservation or an early-morning on-site drawing, not walk-up access. A standard Indiana hunting license still covers the hunting itself; the sign-in and draw system controls when and where on the property you can be, not whether you need an extra license.
03 — Where to go next
Verified · Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife · Last verified 2026-08-08
Publisher's note. WMA list and access rules read from IN DNR, retrieved 2026-08-08. Review due 2027-08-01. This is a starting list, not the agency's full WMA inventory — confirm current rules for a specific area before you hunt it.