#OptOutside with DNR on Black Friday
Looking for a great place to socially distance and avoid crowds on Black Friday? Give yourself some space and #OptOutside at a DNR property this year.
“Opt Outside” on Nov. 27 and get free admission to any DNR property that charges a gate fee on that day.
You also can be entered in drawings for DNR annual passes, lake permits, Outdoor Indiana subscriptions, Smokey Bear materials, gift cards and DNR staff-led outdoor experiences, among other items, just by choosing to #optoutside at a DNR property.
 Black Friday offer at your 7 Indiana State Park Inns
Save 30% at State Park Inns with this limited time offer
Stay with us between Jan. 1 - April 30, 2021 and save 30%. You will also receive 10% off all your dining room food and beverage purchases (excluding alcohol) during your stay.
Valid on new reservations booked between Black Friday and Cyber Monday (Nov. 27-30, 2020).
Call 1-877-LODGES1 to reserve, or reserve online at IndianaInns.com. Use promo code BLACK. Valid any day of the week. Rate is subject to availability and change, and is not valid with any other offer.
State park holiday gift packs are now available
Don’t know what to buy for the person who has everything? Giving a holiday gift pack from the DNR may be your solution.
It’s a gift the recipient can use the whole year, saving you $31 compared to what the items would sell for separately.
Whether that person enjoys camping outdoors or sleeping in the comfort of one of seven Indiana State Park Inns, the gift pack is sure to please.
The $99 gift pack includes a 2021 resident annual entrance permit, a one-year subscription to Outdoor Indiana magazine, and one of two $65 gift card options. There’s a $65 gift card that can be used at the campgrounds — or for those who like to enjoy nature from the comfort of the indoors, a $65 State Park Inns gift card. There’s also an option to upgrade the gift card to $100 for $35 more.
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 Deer hunting season still underway
Multiple deer hunting seasons are ongoing or will be starting soon. Deer archery season lasts until Jan. 3, 2021. Hunters will be able to take deer with muzzleloaders starting Dec. 5 through Dec. 20. The special antlerless firearms season starts Dec. 26 and runs until Jan. 3, 2021. The special antlerless season is open statewide this year except in counties with a county bonus antlerless designation of “A.” Deer reduction zones are open until Jan. 31, 2021.
Questions about deer seasons and regulations can be directed to the Deer Hotline by email at INDeerHotline@dnr.IN.gov or by phone at 812-334-3795, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.
 2021 state park passes and permits now available
The 2021 Indiana state park passes, lake permits, off-road cycling permits, and horse tags are now available at property offices and front gates, and online at ShopINstateparks.com.
A resident annual entrance pass costs $50. A non-resident annual entrance pass for visitors who live outside the state costs $70. Annual entrance passes are not valid for entrance to the Indiana State Museum, State Historic Sites, or Falls of the Ohio Interpretive Center.
Golden Hoosier Passports cost $25 and are available to all Hoosier residents 65 and older.
 Make a difference for the next generation
This holiday season, please consider making a donation to support the Indiana Natural Resources Foundation’s year-end campaign. Help us ensure that public lands are accessible, critical habitats are preserved and protected, and educational opportunities are made available to cultivate future Hoosier conservationists. Donations are tax deductible.
 Sharing spaces with our wild neighbors
Learn about living with wildlife through a free live webinar on Dec. 10. DNR’s urban biologists will cover common wild animals found in urban/suburban areas, best practices to attract or dissuade wildlife from your backyard, and ways to minimize conflict with neighborhood visitors. Participants will have the opportunity to ask experts questions at the end of the presentation.
 State Park Inns Winter Special - 2 nights for 1
Nov. 29 - Feb. 25, 2021
Stay two nights for the price of one. Sunday - Thursday only.
Not available Dec. 20-31, 2020.
Book your stay online or by calling 1-877-LODGES1.
Pokagon SP Toboggan Run opens Friday
Get ready to ride, Hoosiers — Pokagon State Park’s toboggan run opens Friday, Nov. 27.
Tobogganers will notice some changes due to COVID-19 but can still enjoy this thrilling ride that drops 90 feet over the distance of a quarter-mile.
 Coyotes are on the move
Indiana residents are more likely to see coyotes during wintertime, but sightings are no cause for alarm. Coyotes become more active during winter as young coyotes leave their families to find a new home and coyotes begin breeding. Coyotes may look larger than they are due to their thick winter coats, but the average coyote only weighs 20-30 pounds.
NRC accepts preliminary adoption of hunting changes
The Natural Resources Commission (NRC), during its bi-monthly meeting on Nov. 17, accepted preliminary adoption of amendments to 312 IAC 9 related to hunting deer and wild turkeys, and trapping beavers.
The amendments granted preliminary adoption include allowing hunters the option of using a 28-, 16-, or 10-gauge shotgun and .410 shotguns to hunt wild turkeys, in addition to having the option of using other equipment that is already legal in the spring and fall turkey season, as well as adding the #9 tungsten super shot.
Additionally, it removes the restriction requiring the powder used in muzzleloaders for deer hunting to be loaded only from the muzzle end of the muzzleloader.
Granting preliminary adoption starts a long and deliberative process, including a public comment period. None of these amendments can take effect until that process is complete. For now, the current rules stand.
 Donations fund monitoring efforts for the state endangered Loggerhead Shrike (pictured).
Donate to the Indiana Nongame Wildlife Fund
December 1 is Giving Tuesday, and you can give back to Indiana’s wildlife through the Indiana Nongame Wildlife Fund. Donations support habitat management and conservation programs for more than 150 species of greatest conservation need, including barn owls, Eastern hellbenders, and multiple at risk bat species. The Indiana Nongame Wildlife Fund has contributed to the successful recovery of bald eagles and river otters. Help ensure future generations can enjoy wildlife tomorrow by supporting them today.
Get your outdoor lover Outdoor Indiana
Subscribe to Outdoor Indiana magazine to see the Hoosier state as you’ve never seen it before. View excerpts of the November/December issue. New subscribers will receive the 2021 calendar while supplies last.
DNR Response to COVID-19
The DNR is committed to ensuring that our guests and staff continue to have safe and memorable outdoor experiences at our state parks, state forests, fish & wildlife areas, nature preserves and state recreation areas in light of COVID-19. We are following the lead of the Indiana State Department of Health and many local county health departments as we monitor the virus and its potential impacts on DNR properties.
VIEW WHAT IS OPEN, CLOSED AND CANCELED >>
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The Foundation celebrates and preserves Indiana’s natural legacy by raising funds to support the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and its programs.
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