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Pigeon River Camping and Hunting

674 Views 8 Replies 5 Participants Last post by  Realkiller
Hey everyone! I'm planning a bow hunting trip with some buddies next year and I've been looking at Pigeon River. We are coming from Louisiana and want to camp but I can't seem to find any place near you can camp at. Any recommendations or is there another part of the state y'all would recommend heading towards with good camping. My first real DIY trip so any tips help!
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get a cabin at hoosier national forest. huge amount of land and saves 3hr driving. use google earth and find a creek that takes you deep in. if you fallow the creek you cant get lost out there.
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get a cabin at hoosier national forest. huge amount of land and saves 3hr driving. use google earth and find a creek that takes you deep in. if you fallow the creek you cant get lost out there.
Aweome! Thanks for the help. We will be going the first couple of weeks in November. Is that when y'all's rut kicks off? If I'm following creeks should I be looking for heavy cover in the draws or try to stay closer to ag fields. I've never hunted big hilly open timber so I'm trying to dial in on something. Louisiana is flat and thick so this is going to be a learning experience! Hopefully, I can get up there in September and put some boots on the ground. Thanks for the reply!
i hunt flat farm land with scattered wood lots. i have only hunted the big woods of brown co. a few times. packing it out will be the hard part. lol deer are deer same habits just different terrain. read up on wind currents in the mountains.
Aweome! Thanks for the help. We will be going the first couple of weeks in November. Is that when y'all's rut kicks off? If I'm following creeks should I be looking for heavy cover in the draws or try to stay closer to ag fields. I've never hunted big hilly open timber so I'm trying to dial in on something. Louisiana is flat and thick so this is going to be a learning experience! Hopefully, I can get up there in September and put some boots on the ground. Thanks for the reply!
Early november should put here at the right time. I tend to stay closer to the ag fields as the season goes along. I have hunted some big open timber in Morgan Monroe/Yellowwood SF and by november alot of the acorns and nuts are off the ground and there isn't as much to feed on, especially old growth areas where the canopy doesn't allow for much growth at the floor.
i hunt flat farm land with scattered wood lots. i have only hunted the big woods of brown co. a few times. packing it out will be the hard part. lol deer are deer same habits just different terrain. read up on wind currents in the mountains.
Will do! Thanks do the tips.
Early november should put here at the right time. I tend to stay closer to the ag fields as the season goes along. I have hunted some big open timber in Morgan Monroe/Yellowwood SF and by november alot of the acorns and nuts are off the ground and there isn't as much to feed on, especially old growth areas where the canopy doesn't allow for much growth at the floor.
Good to know! I was looking at the hoosier tract closer to the ohio river that is surrounded by ag. Looks promising. Thanks for the help!
There are two nice campgrounds in that area... Pokagon State Park is probably 10 mins or so to the east in Angola and Chain o' Lakes State Park is about 30 mins to the south near Albion. There is another very nice FWA property called Tri-County FWA located about 10 mins straight west of COL. It's around 3,000 acres and is very scout-able for someone not familiar with the area as it's mostly open ag fields broken into sections with fencerows/small woodlots. I moved and haven't hunted it for about 10 years now but it was never very crowded during bow season, especially during the week.

I don't camp much but I know both campgrounds are highly regarded (especially Chain O lakes). I would just confirm they are open the weeks you are planning to hunt.

The best time in '23 will be the first two full weeks of Nov. Gun season doesn't open until 11/18 in '23, which is as late as it ever opens in IN, but you will want to be done bowhunting the public areas by that date I'm guessing. Good luck!
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Take it from a Texan, go kill all the squirrels in the area first. This may require about 50 squirrel haters with shotguns and about 5000 rounds of # 6. I don't think people in Indiana hunt squirrels at all. If you get in the stand, all you'll hear in the national forest is squirrels barking and squealing at you all the way till after dark. Good luck convincing the deer you're not in the woods and throwing sticks at them just makes it ten times worse. They're like a squirrel mofia! No need worrying about crunchy sticks and leaves or your smelly body to run the deer off, the squirrels will take care of you just fine!
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