Crawford County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land
Crawford County covers 715 square miles around Denison, in the DNR's new Zone B. Hunters reported 245 deer here in the 2025 season, 168 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 22% from 2024. 0.4% of Crawford County is public land open to the public, the largest share public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (974 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 atlasCounty conservation board and city landLand trusts and other open landIHAP landCrawford CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 457,609 acres (715 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 245 (168 antlered bucks, 10 button bucks, 61 does and doe fawns) |
| Deer zone (2026) | Zone B: general licenses antlered-buck only, no party hunting |
| Public land | 0.4% (1,666 acres) |
| Hunting areas | 8 (975 acres inside Crawford County) |
| IHAP land | 2 sites, 310 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Denison, Westside, Schleswig, Dunlap, Manning and Ute |
How many deer are harvested in Crawford County?
Hunters reported 245 deer in Crawford County in 2025: 168 antlered bucks, 10 button bucks, 61 does and doe fawns and 6 bucks that had shed their antlers.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Doe fawns | Shed-antler bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 245 | 168 | 10 | 59 | 2 | 6 |
| 2024 | 201 | 140 | 12 | 39 | 7 | 3 |
| 2023 | 250 | 155 | 18 | 69 | 4 | 4 |
| 2022 | 366 | 235 | 20 | 105 | 5 | 1 |
| 2021 | 365 | 219 | 38 | 103 | 4 | 1 |
Source: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons), Crawford County. Every county's numbers add up to the DNR's statewide row for each season shown.
How much public land is in Crawford County?
1,666 of Crawford County's 457,609 acres are public land open to the public (0.4%). The biggest share is public hunting areas on the DNR atlas: 974 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Crawford County |
|---|---|---|
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 974 | 0.2% |
| County conservation board and city land | 622 | 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 70 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 1,666 | 0.4% |
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 Crawford County
Public hunting areas in Crawford County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Thul Woodland: 318 acres
- Schrader Wildlife Area: 183 acres
- Newcom Dale Riggleman Natural Resource Area: 169 acres
- Crawford County Farm: 169 acres
- Ahart/Rudd Natural Resource Area: 91 acres
- Norelius Natural Resource Area: 21 acres
- Milwaukee Road Habitat Prairie: 15 acres
- Hanover Wildlife Area: 9 acres
IHAP land in Crawford County
The DNR's IHAP layer shows 2 tracts in Crawford County, 310 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 Crawford County?
Highways through it: US 30 (about 37 miles inside), US 59 (about 30 miles inside), IA 141 (about 28 miles inside), IA 39 (about 16 miles inside) and IA 37 (about 4 miles inside). Towns inside: Denison, Westside, Schleswig, Manilla, Vail and Charter Oak. Nearby: Dunlap (on the line), Manning (on the line), Ute (2 miles) and Arcadia (2 miles).
Which counties border Crawford County?
Crawford 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 |
| Monona County | 452 | 2025 | 4% | 8 |
| Shelby County | 142 | 2025 | 0.5% | |
| Audubon County | 204 | 2025 | 0.2% | 6 |
| Carroll County | 199 | 2025 | 0.9% | |
| Harrison County | 532 | 2025 | 3.9% | 15 |
| Woodbury County | 406 | 2025 | 2.8% | 6 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Crawford County in 2025?
Hunters reported 245 deer: 168 antlered bucks, 10 button bucks and 61 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 201.
Is there public hunting land in Crawford County?
Yes. 1,666 acres, 0.4% 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 (974 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 8 public hunting areas here.
Does Crawford County have IHAP land?
Yes. 2 tracts, 310 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 Monona County Shelby County Audubon County Carroll County Harrison County Woodbury County