Adams County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land
Adams County covers 426 square miles around Corning. Hunters reported 518 deer here in the 2025 season, 259 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 5% from 2024, and the fewest in the 5 years shown. 0.8% of Adams County is public land open to the public, the largest share public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (2,077 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting area boundaries.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: the DNR's harvest reporting results, 2021 to 2025. Land: PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's Hunting Atlas layer.
Public hunting areas on the DNR atlasCounty conservation board and city landLand trusts and other open landIHAP landAdams CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 272,359 acres (426 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 518 (259 antlered bucks, 30 button bucks, 227 does and doe fawns) |
| Deer zone (2026) | Zone A |
| Public land | 0.8% (2,104 acres) |
| Hunting areas | 5 (2,078 acres inside Adams County) |
| IHAP land | 2 sites, 477 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Corning, Carbon, Nodaway, Cromwell, Lenox and Villisca |
How many deer are harvested in Adams County?
Hunters reported 518 deer in Adams County in 2025: 259 antlered bucks, 30 button bucks, 227 does and doe fawns and 2 bucks that had shed their antlers.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Doe fawns | Shed-antler bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 518 | 259 | 30 | 218 | 9 | 2 |
| 2024 | 547 | 280 | 29 | 230 | 5 | 3 |
| 2023 | 692 | 327 | 52 | 286 | 20 | 7 |
| 2022 | 931 | 412 | 60 | 437 | 17 | 5 |
| 2021 | 775 | 373 | 47 | 330 | 19 | 6 |
Source: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons), Adams County. Every county's numbers add up to the DNR's statewide row for each season shown.
How much public land is in Adams County?
2,104 of Adams County's 272,359 acres are public land open to the public (0.8%). The biggest share is public hunting areas on the DNR atlas: 2,077 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Adams County |
|---|---|---|
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 2,077 | 0.8% |
| County conservation board and city land | 27 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 2,104 | 0.8% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the county line from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and the DNR's public hunting area boundaries. Hunting rules differ by manager: DNR wildlife management areas and state forests are open to hunting unless posted as a refuge; Corps of Engineers lake land is open in many places under each project's own rules; national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas follow U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rules; county conservation boards set the rules on their own land; state parks are closed to most hunting.
Public hunting areas in Adams County
Public hunting areas in Adams County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Lake Icaria Wildlife Area: 1,127 acres
- Lake Icaria Recreation Area: 774 acres
- Talty Wildlife Area: 99 acres
- Hoskinson Wildlife Area: 64 acres
- Hamilton Prairie: 14 acres
IHAP land in Adams County
The DNR's IHAP layer shows 2 tracts in Adams County, 477 acres of private land leased for walk-in hunting. Nearly every tract is walk-in only, September 1 to May 31, by the DNR's notes. DNR: IHAP.
How do you get to Adams County?
Highways through it: US 34 (about 24 miles inside), IA 148 (about 19 miles inside) and IA 49 (about 6 miles inside). Towns inside: Corning, Carbon, Nodaway and Prescott. Nearby: Cromwell (on the line), Lenox (on the line), Villisca (3 miles) and Grant (3 miles).
Which counties border Adams County?
Adams County touches 7 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | IHAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cass County | 298 | 2025 | 0.5% | 3 |
| Page County | 358 | 2025 | 0.3% | 1 |
| Adair County | 679 | 2025 | 0.6% | |
| Union County | 1,051 | 2025 | 2.6% | 5 |
| Taylor County | 1,329 | 2025 | 0.5% | 1 |
| Ringgold County | 1,353 | 2025 | 2.5% | 5 |
| Montgomery County | 316 | 2025 | 0.7% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Adams County in 2025?
Hunters reported 518 deer: 259 antlered bucks, 30 button bucks and 227 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 547.
Is there public hunting land in Adams County?
Yes. 2,104 acres, 0.8% of the county, are public land open to the public by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting area boundaries, the largest share public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (2,077 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 5 public hunting areas here.
Does Adams County have IHAP land?
Yes. 2 tracts, 477 acres, on the DNR's IHAP layer.
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Where these numbers come from
- Deer harvest: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons).
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and the DNR's public hunting area boundaries. public hunting areas: Iowa DNR public hunting areas (Hunting Atlas layer). IHAP land: Iowa DNR Iowa Habitat and Access Program (IHAP) tracts.
- Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 cartographic county boundaries. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Numbers are copied from the DNR and the federal sources above, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
Iowa hunting Cass County Page County Adair County Union County Taylor County Ringgold County Montgomery County