Boone County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land
Boone County covers 574 square miles around Boone. Hunters reported 1,162 deer here in the 2025 season, 501 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 14% from 2024, and the fewest in the 5 years shown. 3.5% of Boone County is public land open to the public, the largest share public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (9,991 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 atlasFederal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakesOther DNR landState parks and recreation areasCounty conservation board and city landIHAP landBoone CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 367,124 acres (574 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 1,162 (501 antlered bucks, 81 button bucks, 558 does and doe fawns) |
| Deer zone (2026) | Zone A |
| Public land | 3.5% (12,808 acres) |
| Hunting areas | 13 (9,994 acres inside Boone County) |
| IHAP land | 1 site, 97 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Boone, Ogden, Madrid, Sheldahl, Slater and Woodward |
How many deer are harvested in Boone County?
Hunters reported 1,162 deer in Boone County in 2025: 501 antlered bucks, 81 button bucks, 558 does and doe fawns and 22 bucks that had shed their antlers.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Doe fawns | Shed-antler bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,162 | 501 | 81 | 532 | 26 | 22 |
| 2024 | 1,351 | 545 | 112 | 638 | 40 | 16 |
| 2023 | 1,294 | 573 | 107 | 568 | 34 | 12 |
| 2022 | 1,250 | 558 | 103 | 544 | 33 | 12 |
| 2021 | 1,174 | 591 | 75 | 470 | 31 | 7 |
Source: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons), Boone County. Every county's numbers add up to the DNR's statewide row for each season shown.
How much public land is in Boone County?
12,808 of Boone County's 367,124 acres are public land open to the public (3.5%). The biggest share is public hunting areas on the DNR atlas: 9,991 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Boone County |
|---|---|---|
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 9,991 | 2.7% |
| County conservation board and city land | 1,048 | 0.3% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 975 | 0.3% |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 734 | 0.2% |
| Other DNR land | 59 | under 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 1 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 12,808 | 3.5% |
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 Boone County
Public hunting areas in Boone County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Saylorville Wildlife Area - ACOE: 6,581 acres
- Saylorville Wildlife Area: 1,099 acres
- McCoy Wildlife Area: 562 acres
- Harrier Marsh WPA: 386 acres
- Barkley State Forest: 322 acres
- Holst State Forest: 310 acres
- Saylorville Lake: 171 acres
- Rhoades Acres: 164 acres
- Jay Carlson Area: 159 acres
- Buffalo Grove: 128 acres
- Long WMA: 43 acres
- Harrier Marsh: 35 acres
- Pilot Mound State Forest: 34 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Saylorville Recreation Area (7,516 acres) and Boone County Waterfowl Production Area (386 acres).
IHAP land in Boone County
The DNR's IHAP layer shows 1 tract in Boone County, 97 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 Boone County?
Highways through it: US 30 (about 43 miles inside), US 169 (about 29 miles inside), IA 17 (about 25 miles inside), IA 210 (about 11 miles inside) and IA 144 (about 5 miles inside). Towns inside: Boone, Ogden, Madrid, Fraser, Boxholm and Pilot Mound. Nearby: Sheldahl (on the line), Slater (on the line), Woodward (on the line) and Bouton (on the line).
Which counties border Boone County?
Boone County touches 6 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | IHAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County | 966 | 2025 | 12.3% | |
| Story County | 573 | 2025 | 1.7% | 3 |
| Dallas County | 1,172 | 2025 | 2.3% | |
| Greene County | 351 | 2025 | 1.7% | 1 |
| Webster County | 835 | 2025 | 2.5% | |
| Hamilton County | 395 | 2025 | 1.3% | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Boone County in 2025?
Hunters reported 1,162 deer: 501 antlered bucks, 81 button bucks and 558 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 1,351.
Is there public hunting land in Boone County?
Yes. 12,808 acres, 3.5% 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 (9,991 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 13 public hunting areas here.
Does Boone County have IHAP land?
Yes. 1 tract, 97 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 Polk County Story County Dallas County Greene County Webster County Hamilton County