Three area state parks to close for controlled deer hunts

Three Southwestern Indiana state park facilities will experience closures for controlled deer hunts over the next few weeks, the state's Department of Natural Resources said in a news release.

Each hunt runs two days. The first is Monday, Nov. 13, and Tuesday, Nov. 14. The second is Monday, Nov. 27, and Tuesday, Nov. 28. The participating state park properties will close to the general public on the evening before each of the two hunts.

Locally, the state parks affected by the closures are: Harmonie, Lincoln and Spring Mill.

The state park properties will re-open the morning after each two-day hunt, the news release states.

Indiana DNR said in the release that biologists evaluate which state park properties require a deer management hunt each year based on habitat recovery and previous harvest rates at each park. The deer management hunts help control browsing by deer to a level that allows for sufficient habitat for native plants and other native animals.

Only individuals selected from the draw may participate at any site.

Information regarding 2024 state park deer management hunts, including online applications, will be available next summer at on.IN.gov/reservedhunt. The application deadline is usually in mid-August of the year in which the hunts are to take place.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Indiana DNR says state parks will close for controlled deer hunts