Buena Vista County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land
Buena Vista County covers 580 square miles around Storm Lake. Hunters reported 174 deer here in the 2025 season, 106 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 30% from 2024. 1.5% of Buena Vista County is public land open to the public, the largest share other DNR land (3,108 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 atlasOther DNR landState parks and recreation areasCounty conservation board and city landIHAP landBuena Vista CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 371,347 acres (580 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 174 (106 antlered bucks, 7 button bucks, 60 does and doe fawns) |
| Deer zone (2026) | Zone A |
| Public land | 1.5% (5,457 acres) |
| Hunting areas | 14 (1,767 acres inside Buena Vista County) |
| IHAP land | 1 site, 75 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Storm Lake, Newell, Alta, Peterson, Varina and Aurelia |
How many deer are harvested in Buena Vista County?
Hunters reported 174 deer in Buena Vista County in 2025: 106 antlered bucks, 7 button bucks, 60 does and doe fawns and 1 bucks that had shed their antlers.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Doe fawns | Shed-antler bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 174 | 106 | 7 | 56 | 4 | 1 |
| 2024 | 134 | 94 | 4 | 32 | 2 | 2 |
| 2023 | 259 | 150 | 10 | 90 | 5 | 4 |
| 2022 | 238 | 154 | 11 | 68 | 3 | 2 |
| 2021 | 229 | 147 | 8 | 67 | 6 | 1 |
Source: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons), Buena Vista County. Every county's numbers add up to the DNR's statewide row for each season shown.
How much public land is in Buena Vista County?
5,457 of Buena Vista County's 371,347 acres are public land open to the public (1.5%). The biggest share is other DNR land: 3,108 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Buena Vista County |
|---|---|---|
| Other DNR land | 3,108 | 0.8% |
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 1,767 | 0.5% |
| County conservation board and city land | 516 | 0.1% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 66 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 5,457 | 1.5% |
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 Buena Vista County
Public hunting areas in Buena Vista County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Raccoon River Heritage Wildlife Corridor: 341 acres
- Pickerel Lake: 336 acres
- Little Storm Lake: 274 acres
- Leo Grau Wildlife Area: 194 acres
- Pheasant Hills Wildlife Area: 189 acres
- Three Waters Wildlife Area: 83 acres
- Pickerel Lake WPA: 69 acres
- Elk Wildlife Area: 64 acres
- Brooke Wildlife Area: 63 acres
- Donahoo Wildlife Area: 58 acres
- Gary Christiansen Wildlife Area: 38 acres
- Gaherty Wildlife Area: 27 acres
- Hankens Wildlife Area: 25 acres
- Pheasant Ridge Wildlife Area: 6 acres
IHAP land in Buena Vista County
The DNR's IHAP layer shows 1 tract in Buena Vista County, 75 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 Buena Vista County?
Highways through it: IA 7 (about 28 miles inside), US 71 (about 24 miles inside), IA 3 (about 24 miles inside), IA 10 (about 16 miles inside) and IA 110 (about 9 miles inside). Towns inside: Storm Lake, Newell, Alta, Sioux Rapids, Marathon and Linn Grove. Nearby: Peterson (on the line), Varina (on the line), Aurelia (2 miles) and Webb (3 miles).
Which counties border Buena Vista County?
Buena Vista County touches 8 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | IHAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ida County | 70 | 2025 | 0.2% | |
| Sac County | 285 | 2025 | 1.7% | 3 |
| Clay County | 461 | 2025 | 3.9% | 5 |
| Calhoun County | 84 | 2025 | 0.6% | 1 |
| O'Brien County | 163 | 2025 | 0.9% | |
| Cherokee County | 247 | 2025 | 0.4% | 5 |
| Palo Alto County | 279 | 2025 | 3.1% | 5 |
| Pocahontas County | 136 | 2025 | 1.3% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Buena Vista County in 2025?
Hunters reported 174 deer: 106 antlered bucks, 7 button bucks and 60 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 134.
Is there public hunting land in Buena Vista County?
Yes. 5,457 acres, 1.5% 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 other DNR land (3,108 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 14 public hunting areas here.
Does Buena Vista County have IHAP land?
Yes. 1 tract, 75 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 Ida County Sac County Clay County Calhoun County O'Brien County Cherokee County Palo Alto County Pocahontas County