Calhoun County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land
Calhoun County covers 572 square miles around Lake City. Hunters reported 84 deer here in the 2025 season, 65 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 29% from 2024. 0.6% of Calhoun County is public land open to the public, the largest share public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (1,292 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 landCalhoun CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 366,222 acres (572 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 84 (65 antlered bucks, 3 button bucks, 14 does and doe fawns) |
| Deer zone (2026) | Zone A |
| Public land | 0.6% (2,105 acres) |
| Hunting areas | 16 (1,284 acres inside Calhoun County) |
| IHAP land | 1 site, 114 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Lake City, Rockwell City, Manson, Lytton, Auburn and Fonda |
How many deer are harvested in Calhoun County?
Hunters reported 84 deer in Calhoun County in 2025: 65 antlered bucks, 3 button bucks, 14 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 | 84 | 65 | 3 | 11 | 3 | 2 |
| 2024 | 65 | 47 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 147 | 114 | 4 | 24 | 4 | 1 |
| 2022 | 151 | 115 | 9 | 25 | 1 | 1 |
| 2021 | 146 | 97 | 9 | 38 | 1 | 1 |
Source: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons), Calhoun County. Every county's numbers add up to the DNR's statewide row for each season shown.
How much public land is in Calhoun County?
2,105 of Calhoun County's 366,222 acres are public land open to the public (0.6%). The biggest share is public hunting areas on the DNR atlas: 1,292 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Calhoun County |
|---|---|---|
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 1,292 | 0.4% |
| Other DNR land | 545 | 0.1% |
| County conservation board and city land | 249 | 0.1% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 19 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 2,105 | 0.6% |
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 Calhoun County
Public hunting areas in Calhoun County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- South Twin Lake: 523 acres
- Towhead Lake: 196 acres
- Johnson Prairie: 117 acres
- Union Wildlife Area: 109 acres
- Hickory Grove Park: 55 acres
- Raccoon River Wildlife Area: 55 acres
- Johnson Wildlife Area: 39 acres
- Sorenson Wildlife Area: 36 acres
- Rainbow Bend: 36 acres
- Calhoun Wildlife WMA: 32 acres
- Meier Memorial Marsh: 25 acres
- Rainbow Bend WMA: 22 acres
- Munson Prairie: 11 acres
- Camp Creek Wildlife Area: 10 acres
- Elm Grove Wildlife Area: 9 acres
- Kelly Access: 9 acres
IHAP land in Calhoun County
The DNR's IHAP layer shows 1 tract in Calhoun County, 114 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 Calhoun County?
Highways through it: US 20 (about 47 miles inside), IA 4 (about 34 miles inside), IA 175 (about 24 miles inside), IA 7 (about 15 miles inside) and IA 124 (about 5 miles inside). Towns inside: Lake City, Rockwell City, Manson, Lohrville, Pomeroy and Rinard. Nearby: Lytton (on the line), Auburn (on the line), Fonda (2 miles) and Lanesboro (2 miles).
Which counties border Calhoun County?
Calhoun County touches 6 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | IHAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sac County | 285 | 2025 | 1.7% | 3 |
| Greene County | 351 | 2025 | 1.7% | 1 |
| Carroll County | 199 | 2025 | 0.9% | |
| Webster County | 835 | 2025 | 2.5% | |
| Pocahontas County | 136 | 2025 | 1.3% | |
| Buena Vista County | 174 | 2025 | 1.5% | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Calhoun County in 2025?
Hunters reported 84 deer: 65 antlered bucks, 3 button bucks and 14 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 65.
Is there public hunting land in Calhoun County?
Yes. 2,105 acres, 0.6% 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 (1,292 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 16 public hunting areas here.
Does Calhoun County have IHAP land?
Yes. 1 tract, 114 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 Sac County Greene County Carroll County Webster County Pocahontas County Buena Vista County