Cass County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land
Cass County covers 565 square miles around Atlantic. Hunters reported 298 deer here in the 2025 season, 200 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 5% from 2024. 0.5% of Cass County is public land open to the public, the largest share state parks and recreation areas (934 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 atlasState parks and recreation areasCounty conservation board and city landIHAP landCass CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 361,564 acres (565 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 298 (200 antlered bucks, 16 button bucks, 80 does and doe fawns) |
| Deer zone (2026) | Zone A |
| Public land | 0.5% (1,813 acres) |
| Hunting areas | 7 (418 acres inside Cass County) |
| IHAP land | 3 sites, 428 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Atlantic, Anita, Massena, Elliott, Grant and Bridgewater |
How many deer are harvested in Cass County?
Hunters reported 298 deer in Cass County in 2025: 200 antlered bucks, 16 button bucks, 80 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 | 298 | 200 | 16 | 74 | 6 | 2 |
| 2024 | 283 | 184 | 14 | 78 | 4 | 3 |
| 2023 | 471 | 255 | 41 | 167 | 6 | 2 |
| 2022 | 570 | 306 | 29 | 216 | 9 | 10 |
| 2021 | 653 | 339 | 41 | 259 | 13 | 1 |
Source: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons), Cass County. Every county's numbers add up to the DNR's statewide row for each season shown.
How much public land is in Cass County?
1,813 of Cass County's 361,564 acres are public land open to the public (0.5%). The biggest share is state parks and recreation areas: 934 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Cass County |
|---|---|---|
| State parks and recreation areas | 934 | 0.3% |
| County conservation board and city land | 462 | 0.1% |
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 417 | 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 1,813 | 0.5% |
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 Cass County
Public hunting areas in Cass County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- West Nodaway Wildlife Area: 116 acres
- Lake Anita Wildlife Area: 112 acres
- Hitchcock County Park: 70 acres
- Nodaway Wildlife Area: 46 acres
- Troublesome Creek Wildlife Area: 42 acres
- Turkey Creek Wildlife Area: 21 acres
- Indian Creek Wildlife Area: 11 acres
IHAP land in Cass County
The DNR's IHAP layer shows 3 tracts in Cass County, 428 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 Cass County?
Highways through it: US 6 (about 48 miles inside), I-80 (about 47 miles inside), US 71 (about 28 miles inside), IA 92 (about 26 miles inside) and IA 148 (about 24 miles inside). Towns inside: Atlantic, Anita, Massena, Cumberland, Griswold and Marne. Nearby: Elliott (on the line), Grant (on the line), Bridgewater (2 miles) and Brayton (3 miles).
Which counties border Cass County?
Cass County touches 7 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | IHAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adair County | 679 | 2025 | 0.6% | |
| Adams County | 518 | 2025 | 0.8% | 2 |
| Shelby County | 142 | 2025 | 0.5% | |
| Audubon County | 204 | 2025 | 0.2% | 6 |
| Guthrie County | 1,613 | 2025 | 3.2% | |
| Montgomery County | 316 | 2025 | 0.7% | |
| Pottawattamie County | 530 | 2025 | 1.1% | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Cass County in 2025?
Hunters reported 298 deer: 200 antlered bucks, 16 button bucks and 80 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 283.
Is there public hunting land in Cass County?
Yes. 1,813 acres, 0.5% 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 state parks and recreation areas (934 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 7 public hunting areas here.
Does Cass County have IHAP land?
Yes. 3 tracts, 428 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 Adair County Adams County Shelby County Audubon County Guthrie County Montgomery County Pottawattamie County