Indiana Private Lands Access Program

Hunters must follow all laws and obtain all necessary permits and licenses as outlined in the Indiana Hunting & Trapping Guide (including license requirements, bag limits, etc.) for the species they are pursuing.

All deer and turkey harvested on IPLA properties should be checked in using the CheckIN game system as private lands.

• For all IPLA hunts, you must register using the reserved hunt draw system.

Any activity not permitted in the IPLA rules listed would require separate written permission from the landowner. Landowners may give permission for additional activities at their discretion.

• For DEER hunting you may bring one additional non-hunting partner. Non-hunting partners can call, take photos, observe, help with equipment, etc. Partners who call for the hunter must have a license to participate.
• For GAME BIRD hunting you may bring up to two additional hunting partners.
• For TURKEY hunting you may bring one additional non-hunting partner. Non-hunting partners can call, take photos, observe, etc. Partners who call for the hunter must have a license to participate.
• For WATERFOWL hunting, you may bring up to three additional hunting partners.
• For SMALL GAME hunting, you may bring up to three additional hunting partners.

No, nonresidents may also apply for or sign in to IPLA hunts.

Payments can range from $3 to $150 per acre, depending on which species you allow to be hunted on your property. Contact your local district biologist for more specific payment rates.

Any property that is enrolled in IPLA may only be hunted by those hunters drawn or registered for the program. However, you may hunt for species that you did not enroll in the program, or you may hunt after the IPLA hunts are completed. For example, if you allow access to deer hunting on your property through IPLA, but not waterfowl hunting, you may hunt waterfowl but not deer.  If you allow deer hunting only during the youth and archery season, you may hunt deer after the youth and archery season IPLA hunts are completed.

IPLA contracts are one year in length.

This is determined via a discussion between you and your local biologist. Biologists will work with each landowner to determine the number of people who could access the property based on several factors such as size of the property, number, and location of parking areas, number of hunters that could safely hunt the property, resource, and species concerns, and the number of hunters the landowner is generally comfortable allowing.

Yes. Access areas can be configured in a variety of ways according to your preferences. Landowners can enroll as many acres as they wish, including agricultural fields in some situations. Large lakes, ponds, lawns, or other obvious “non-huntable” areas will be subtracted from total acres.

Landowners cannot set any special rules for hunting-related activities. Landowners can set areas open or closed to access according to their preferences during the enrollment process (e.g., safety zones, no-hunting zones, etc.). Landowners can also designate access points where users park and access their property. As for hunting and user activities, the program has a uniform set of rules implemented statewide to make it easy and simple for hunters using enrolled properties.

Yes. Landowners are encouraged to work with their district biologist to determine which species they would like to allow access to on their property. Biologists will help determine which species are viable for hunting on each landowner’s property.

IPLA users who do not follow the rules may have their IPLA hunting privileges revoked, be denied future access to the program, and may face law enforcement action.