Allamakee County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land
Allamakee County covers 659 square miles around Waukon. Hunters reported 3,498 deer here in the 2025 season, 1,266 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 3% from 2024. 10.8% of Allamakee County is public land open to the public, the largest share public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (36,780 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 atlasNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasFederal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakesOther DNR landState parks and recreation areasCounty conservation board and city landLand trusts and other open landIHAP landAllamakee CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 421,680 acres (659 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 3,498 (1,266 antlered bucks, 242 button bucks, 1,923 does and doe fawns) |
| Deer zone (2026) | Zone A |
| Public land | 10.8% (45,694 acres) |
| Hunting areas | 22 (36,780 acres inside Allamakee County) |
| IHAP land | 1 site, 182 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Waukon, Postville, Lansing, Luana, Monona and Marquette |
How many deer are harvested in Allamakee County?
Hunters reported 3,498 deer in Allamakee County in 2025: 1,266 antlered bucks, 242 button bucks, 1,923 does and doe fawns and 67 bucks that had shed their antlers.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Doe fawns | Shed-antler bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,498 | 1,266 | 242 | 1,809 | 114 | 67 |
| 2024 | 3,602 | 1,350 | 246 | 1,851 | 103 | 52 |
| 2023 | 3,327 | 1,276 | 234 | 1,666 | 115 | 36 |
| 2022 | 3,544 | 1,340 | 246 | 1,805 | 102 | 51 |
| 2021 | 3,440 | 1,351 | 248 | 1,681 | 110 | 50 |
Source: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons), Allamakee County. Every county's numbers add up to the DNR's statewide row for each season shown.
How much public land is in Allamakee County?
45,694 of Allamakee County's 421,680 acres are public land open to the public (10.8%). The biggest share is public hunting areas on the DNR atlas: 36,780 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Allamakee County |
|---|---|---|
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 36,780 | 8.7% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 4,249 | 1% |
| Other DNR land | 2,374 | 0.6% |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 1,937 | 0.5% |
| County conservation board and city land | 248 | 0.1% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 94 | under 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 12 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 45,694 | 10.8% |
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 Allamakee County
Public hunting areas in Allamakee County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Upper Mississippi River Fish & Wildlife Refuge: 16,972 acres
- Yellow River State Forest - Paint Creek Unit: 5,805 acres
- Lansing Wildlife Area: 2,310 acres
- Waterloo Creek Wildlife Area: 1,981 acres
- French Creek Wildlife Area: 1,675 acres
- Yellow River State Forest - Yellow River Unit: 1,054 acres
- Fish Farm Mounds Wildlife Area: 1,024 acres
- Clear Creek Fish and Wildlife Area: 954 acres
- Yellow River State Forest - Paint Rock Unit: 868 acres
- Yellow River State Forest - Luster Heights Unit: 737 acres
- Pool Slough Wildlife Area: 708 acres
- Upper Iowa River - Iverson Bottoms: 672 acres
- Pine Creek Wildlife Area - Winneshiek, Allamakee: 530 acres
- Black Hawk Point Wildlife Area: 320 acres
- Tahigwa Wildlife Area: 264 acres
- Yellow River State Forest - Mud Hen Unit: 196 acres
- Waukon Junction Wildlife Area: 195 acres
- Yellow River State Forest - Waukon Junction Unit: 188 acres
- Yellow River State Forest - Lost 40 Unit: 161 acres
- Canoe Creek Wildlife Area: 117 acres
- English Bench Wildlife Area: 29 acres
- North Bear Creek Wildlife Area: 20 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife And Fish Refuge (10,788 acres), Effigy Mounds National Monument (1,944 acres) and Lansing Big Lake (705 acres).
IHAP land in Allamakee County
The DNR's IHAP layer shows 1 tract in Allamakee County, 182 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 Allamakee County?
Highways through it: IA 76 (about 42 miles inside), IA 9 (about 26 miles inside), IA 26 (about 11 miles inside), IA 51 (about 11 miles inside) and IA 364 (about 6 miles inside). Towns inside: Waukon, Postville, Lansing, Harpers Ferry, Waterville and New Albin. Nearby: Luana (2 miles), Monona (2 miles), Marquette (3 miles) and Castalia (4 miles).
Which counties border Allamakee County?
Allamakee County touches 3 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | IHAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clayton County | 4,248 | 2025 | 4.6% | 4 |
| Fayette County | 2,128 | 2025 | 1.8% | 5 |
| Winneshiek County | 2,519 | 2025 | 2.3% | 5 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Allamakee County in 2025?
Hunters reported 3,498 deer: 1,266 antlered bucks, 242 button bucks and 1,923 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 3,602.
Is there public hunting land in Allamakee County?
Yes. 45,694 acres, 10.8% 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 (36,780 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 22 public hunting areas here.
Does Allamakee County have IHAP land?
Yes. 1 tract, 182 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 Clayton County Fayette County Winneshiek County