Iowa Public Land Hunting
Iowa Public Land Hunting
Every hunter wants to know where to go to harvest a great deer. We often assume that there is some “honey hole” spot out there that a person can always go to and harvest a trophy year after year. While having hope for that, we are always keeping our ears perked for that privileged information on where the best place to hunt would be.
Now, let me ask you, if somebody had the perfect spot to hunt where they are harvesting trophy deer year after year, do you think that they would share that information with you? Probably not. Unless they are VERY gracious and kind.
In this article, I will not share any “secret spots” with you who are reading. Frankly, because I don’t have any secret spots to share! However, I’ve lived in Iowa long enough to steer you to certain areas of our great state that might give you a great chance to fill a tag this fall and winter. So let’s begin with some regions of the state to key into.
Iowa’s Best Regions
The state of Iowa has become one of the treasured states for deer hunters. Men and women who live in different states will wait for years to draw a tag to come here and hunt. We also see generations of family members gather year after year to take part in our variety of deer seasons, be it archery, shotgun, or rifle. It’s a state that has proven to produce big-bodied deer, be it doe or buck, and people are quite satisfied with their harvests year after year. With a healthy population of both sexes, you have a high chance of filling your Iowa tag.
The two regions of Iowa that have stood out to me over the years are the northeast part of the state and the southern part of the state. There are a number of counties in these areas that have consistently supported a thriving population of deer.
Northeast
In the Northeast region, counties such as Allamakee, Winneshiek, Fayette, Clayton, and a few more to the south have carried stories of trophy deer, especially in the last 20 years. This is the “hill country” of Iowa, providing a lot of timber, rocky outcroppings, and water systems that all lead to the Mississippi. These features, in combination with croplands, have grown some big-bodied deer in both the doe and buck populations.
If a person wants to hunt in that area of the state, I would suggest a few places to do some scouting. Yellow River Forest offers just under 6,000 acres of public grounds for hunting. Another public option just a bit north would be the Lancing Wildlife Area, which provides around 2,300 acres of hills and timber. Both of these public land areas are right along the Mississippi River, and both areas are going to challenge you to take steps on the ground. You’d best be ready to do some hiking if you are going to hunt here.
Clayton and Fayette counties still carry a high population of deer, but the public hunting parcels are a bit smaller than those in their neighboring counties to the north. However, don’t pass them by just because they are smaller in size. Look them up on Iowa’s DNR atlas or Interactive map and visit. You might find some great pockets of hunting and access if you spend the time to investigate.
Southern
When we talk about the southern region of Iowa and its population of deer, we really need to be looking at the bottom three tiers of counties. Almost the entire rows of those counties have high populations of deer. There are only a few counties on the western sides of those tiers that don’t boast high numbers. If you can make your way down south, you’ll be in good populations and see plenty of deer.
Southern Iowa has had a good production of big deer since the early 90’s. In my teenage years, we knew a party of shotgunners that would gather every year during the 1st shotgun season to push the fields and timbers in southern Iowa. The number of trophy bucks they would selectively harvest during these drives was incredible. It wasn’t uncommon for them to report over a dozen bucks showing 160 inches or better for their harvest.
One of the largest Iowa public land hunting areas in southern Iowa is around Lake Rathbun. The Rathbun Wildlife Area consists of almost 16,000 acres of timber, grasslands, and a lake. This area covers acres in Lucas, Wayne, and Appanoose counties. There is a very small bit that dips into Monroe County as well.
Stephens State Forest is another collection of public hunting areas within Lucas County. This state forest actually has multiple locations within the county and totals around 8,500 acres of hunting ground.
If you travel just north of these four counties to Marion and Warren counties, you’ll find the public hunting timber around Lake Red Rock. Being one of the largest lakes in Iowa, it totals almost 35,000 acres of huntable ground for the public.
The lake is large, and there are many who visit there, especially during the shotgun seasons. but success can be had! An acquaintance of mine, some years back, stepped into that timber on the opening morning of shotgun season. He had not scouted the area at all and wandered into the timber blindly. It didn’t take him long to begin to see many deer, and within the hour, he had harvested a 160” brute.
Tips to Follow
Here in Iowa, there isn’t a problem in finding land to hunt. Google AI states that there are over 600,000 acres of public hunting land listed in Iowa, between State-owned land, county lands, and private lands enrolled in the Iowa Habitat and Access program. If you want to get out, stretch those legs, and harvest some quality organic meat, you can find some ground to make it happen.
However, if I may, let me share with you a few tips when hunting public lands. First, look for those areas that others aren’t taking the time to visit. When I’m seeking some public land to hunt, I always look for the small acre areas. For some reason, in outdoorsmen’s heads, there is an assumption that more acres means better chances. That’s not always the case! Small parcels don’t often get the traffic that larger tracts of public land might. The animals, especially deer, figure that out. Where there is less pressure, that’s where you will find the deer.
Second, be willing to walk! There is a good number of public acres near where I live. Even though I have some private acres to hunt, I do like going to this public land from time to time also. In the past 5 years, hunters have pulled out some giants from these parcels. How, you ask? They make the trek to the innermost parts of the timber. Most “weekend” hunters will hike the outer 200 yards or so, looking to make an easy harvest and an easy drag back to their truck. When there’s pressure in that first 200 yards, the deer move deeper to less pressured areas. The hunters who are willing to make the walk and endure a tough drag out are going to be rewarded with some big deer to remember!
And third, scout the area! Sometimes in heavily populated areas, you’re going to see deer anywhere on these public lands due to the sheer number of deer living in the area. However, knowing the lay of the land, where bedding areas are, sources of food and water, and other things like that, is going to lead to better success in harvest. Take time to walk the land and make notes of these things. Place a stand or blind based on your findings, and I’m sure you will have a reward for your efforts.
Conclusion
Remember, when you are stepping onto Iowa public land, hunting it is a privilege! Please take care of the land and everything in it. My dad always said, “Leave it better than when you arrived.” So don’t leave your trash or anything like that behind. We are lucky to have it, and we need to keep it looking nice for others.
Also, remember that these lands are not yours. They are shared! A good sportsman knows that anybody has the right to hunt these grounds. If somebody beats you to it, politely bow out and go find somewhere else to hunt. I always have 2-3 options in mind on a day that I’m going to public lands. If somebody is already where I wanted to be, no problem. I just head to my second choice.
So, get out this season and do some wandering! Who knows, you just might find that lucky spot that you will keep secret from everybody else! Good luck!
By Ryan Graden
November 2025
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