The Patoka River is classified as a state navigable waterway for 146 miles of it's corridor, and beginning at that point where the river flows under Highway 37 in Orange County to where it empties into the Wabash River it is a navigable body of water open to public use. That doesn't mean the entire river bottom is open to the public, most of this land falls under private domain and is off limits without granted permission. But, for the public land water way hunter willing to put forth a little effort, the river provides access to a number of state and federally controlled lands along its' winding path.
Beginning in Orange County the river flows along several remote sections of Hoosier National Forest before it widens out into the Patoka Lake Reservoir. The Patoka Lake Corridor is controlled by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and this area provides over 17,000 acres of huntable public land. Last year, during the fall hunting season, the Corps of Engineers held the lake at a low level and the open shoreline would have made a perfect path for a stalking hunting to move slowly along and hunt the wooded hillsides. This was something I planned to do, but never got around to. This year not as much of the shore is exposed, but there is still enough for a hunter to work the wooded edge. Along several sections of the property the Indiana DNR plants crops and grasses, and I have seen an above average number of deer this year in the areas I regularly drive through.
Moving downriver from Patoka Lake the river winds through several other sections of state and federal properties. Parts of Pike State Forest (3,089 acres) border the river bottom and the river flows through several sections of the Sugar Ridge Fish and Wildlife Area (8,109 acres). But, possibly the hidden jewel among all of these is the Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge (5,828 acres). This is a place where I have wanted to hunt and explore since it was dedicated, but am yet to do so. |
| A Nice Patoka River Ten Pointer on a River Bottom Trail! |
Deer numbers have been strong for the past several years in this region of Southern Indiana. Last year the antlered harvest was up in several counties the Patoka River flows through. Hunters killed 797 bucks in Orange County, 771 in Crawford County, 698 in Dubois County, and 696 in Pike County. All of these counties increased their antlered harvest from the year before and if the amount of deer I'm seeing in Southern Indiana this year is any indication of the coming deer season, I'm willing to bet the kill ratio increases again this hunting season.
If you're tired of hunting the crowded roadways of Indiana's public lands get yourself a cheap canoe and discover for yourself just how good these out of the way public lands can be.
