ESPN Hunting

Season dates:

• Archery: Oct. 1-Nov. 27 and Dec. 3-Jan. 1.
• Muzzleloader: Dec. 3-18.
• Youth/disabled: N/A.
• Firearm: Nov. 12-27.
• Special antlerless: Oct. 1-Jan. 1.

Resident license fees: $24.

Nonresident license fees: $120.75.

Bag limit: Varies from one to four deer - check the "Indiana Hunting and Trapping Guide" for specific details.

Hunter education/bowhunter education required? Hunter safety education is required if a hunter was born after 1986. Bowhunter safety education is not required.

Population for 2005: No 2005 estimate was given by Indiana DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife biologists, but the population has been as high as 450,000 whitetails in recent years according to previous ESPNOutdoors.com Deer Forecasts.

Season forecast: Like the rest of the whitetail rich Midwest, it looks like another good year of deer hunting in Indiana.

So says Indiana DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife biologist Jim Mitchell who actually predicts an "excellent" year of deer hunting in the Hoosier State this fall. Mitchell indicates that the state's deer herd this year is similar to the near record population levels that the state has maintained over the last five years. Because of that, Indiana hunters will see similar season lengths and bag limits as they head afield this fall, not to mention plenty of deer on the prowl.

Because of that, the state's bonus antlerless season has been extended from previous years with some additional bag limit added in some counties. Mitchell said that extra deer may be taken in urban zones, on military/refuge hunts, and on state park hunts.

Thanks to Indiana's relatively mild climate that sees little in the way of searing summer heat or numbing winter cold, the state is uniquely positioned to give whitetails another advantage in this deer rich region.

Add in the fact that the state has suffered few disease concerns in recent years - chronic wasting disease is still absent from the state and it has been nearly a decade since the last significant outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease occurred in Indiana - and it's easy to see why the deer hunting picture remains bright here.

And don't forget that while the state of Indiana doesn't seem to get the frequent monster buck headlines that its neighbors do - Illinois, Kentucky, and Ohio to be exact - there are still plenty of trophy bucks to be had in the Hoosier State.

In fact, from our vantage point, Indiana might best be described as a sometimes "overlooked" Midwestern trophy buck hotspot.

With a sizable deer herd near the state's all-time population benchmark in place and with another fall of excellent whitetail hunting prospects on tap, don't expect that "secret" - if you can call it that - to remain quiet for too much longer.

2004 harvest: 123,100 deer.

Bow harvest: 22,000 deer.

Muzzleloader harvest: 28,200 deer.

Firearm harvest: 72,900 deer.

Number of licensed deer hunters: 169,300.

Deer hunter success rates: 50 percent.

Number of bowhunters: 99,200.

Bowhunter success rates: 25 percent.

Number of muzzleloader hunters: 81,600.

Muzzleloader success rates: 22 percent.

Number of firearm hunters (shotgun + pistol + muzzleloader): 159,100.

Firearm success rates: 40 percent.

Top counties/regions: Northeastern and southeastern portions of the state.

Top public-hunting spots: Kingsbury Wildlife Management Area.

Testing conducted for chronic wasting disease?: Yes. Mitchell indicates that some 5,000 whitetails have been tested for CWD with all test results being negative so far.

Units/areas that tested positive for chronic wasting disease: None.

State record typical: 195 1/8 inches, taken by B. Dodd Porter in Parke County in 1985. State record non-typical: 251 4/8 inches, taken by Timothy J. Goode in Hendricks County in 1980.

State record archery typical: 190 4/8 inches, taken by B. Dodd Porter in Parke County in 1985.

State record archery non-typical: 221 0/8 inches, taken by Robert C. Phillips, Jr. in Warren County in 1993.

More information: Log onto the Indiana DNR's Division of Fish and Wildlife Web site or call (812) 334-3795. To report a poacher, call (800) 847-4367.

Did you know? Whitetail deer were abundant when settlers first arrived in Indiana in the late 1700s according to the Indiana DNR Web site. By the late 1800s however, uncontrolled hunting had pushed the state's whitetail herd to extirpation … In 1934, the Division of Fish and Wildlife began reintroducing deer into Indiana. The first deer-hunting season was held in 17 counties in 1951 … Through the 1970s, harvest regulations were conservative to allow for herd growth. Today, however, more liberal regulations are in place as state biologists try to keep the herd balanced with the state's available habitat and reduce crop damage complaints and deer/vehicle collisions … How valuable is whitetail deer hunting in the Hoosier State? Well, the Indiana DNR Web site indicates that the state's deer herd provides tremendous recreational and economic benefit to the state. Deer hunters annually spend approximately $101 million at retail outlets in Indiana, which helps generates approximately 3,600 jobs in the state … In Indiana, the DNR Web site indicates that the whitetail's preferred habitat includes a combination of woodland, brushy areas, and agricultural land … The presence of deer in some of Indiana's most agriculturally intensive and urbanized counties is evidence of their adaptability. Deer habitat is found in every Indiana county, but the abundance of habitat varies widely among counties … In general, the southern half of the state has more acreage deemed to be deer habitat than the northern half.