Dallas County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land
Dallas County covers 592 square miles around Waukee. Hunters reported 1,172 deer here in the 2025 season, 489 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 13% from 2024, and the fewest in the 5 years shown. 2.3% of Dallas County is public land open to the public, the largest share public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (5,928 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 landLand trusts and other open landDallas CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 378,618 acres (592 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 1,172 (489 antlered bucks, 105 button bucks, 565 does and doe fawns) |
| Deer zone (2026) | Zone A |
| Public land | 2.3% (8,659 acres) |
| Hunting areas | 16 (5,930 acres inside Dallas County) |
| IHAP land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Waukee, Perry, Dallas Center, West Des Moines, Earlham and Grimes |
How many deer are harvested in Dallas County?
Hunters reported 1,172 deer in Dallas County in 2025: 489 antlered bucks, 105 button bucks, 565 does and doe fawns and 13 bucks that had shed their antlers.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Doe fawns | Shed-antler bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,172 | 489 | 105 | 530 | 35 | 13 |
| 2024 | 1,344 | 494 | 133 | 650 | 44 | 23 |
| 2023 | 1,327 | 506 | 129 | 639 | 46 | 7 |
| 2022 | 1,579 | 609 | 140 | 778 | 37 | 15 |
| 2021 | 1,392 | 584 | 113 | 658 | 27 | 10 |
Source: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons), Dallas County. Every county's numbers add up to the DNR's statewide row for each season shown.
How much public land is in Dallas County?
8,659 of Dallas County's 378,618 acres are public land open to the public (2.3%). The biggest share is public hunting areas on the DNR atlas: 5,928 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Dallas County |
|---|---|---|
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 5,928 | 1.6% |
| County conservation board and city land | 2,521 | 0.7% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 158 | under 0.1% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 36 | under 0.1% |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 14 | under 0.1% |
| Other DNR land | 2 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 8,659 | 2.3% |
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 Dallas County
Public hunting areas in Dallas County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Saylorville Wildlife Area - ACOE: 3,171 acres
- Big Bend Wildlife Area: 602 acres
- Middle Raccoon River WMA: 417 acres
- Voas Nature Area: 395 acres
- Kuehn Conservation Area: 307 acres
- Beaver Lake Wildlife Area: 299 acres
- Hanging Rock WMA: 235 acres
- Pleasant Valley Wildlife Area: 140 acres
- North Raccoon River Wildlife Area - Snyder Tract: 123 acres
- North Raccoon River Wildlife Area - Wagner Tract: 76 acres
- Middle Raccoon River Easement: 61 acres
- Two Rivers Access: 44 acres
- Perry Wildlife Area: 20 acres
- Dawson Boat Ramp: 20 acres
- Snyder Access - Dallas: 13 acres
- Cortney McCammond Access: 7 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Saylorville Recreation Area (3,177 acres).
How do you get to Dallas County?
Highways through it: I-80 (about 46 miles inside), IA 141 (about 45 miles inside), US 6 (about 26 miles inside), US 169 (about 25 miles inside) and IA 44 (about 24 miles inside). Towns inside: Waukee, Perry, Dallas Center, Adel, Van Meter and Woodward. Nearby: West Des Moines (on the line), Earlham (on the line), Grimes (on the line) and Clive (on the line).
Which counties border Dallas County?
Dallas County touches 7 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% | |
| Adair County | 679 | 2025 | 0.6% | |
| Boone County | 1,162 | 2025 | 3.5% | 1 |
| Greene County | 351 | 2025 | 1.7% | 1 |
| Warren County | 2,385 | 2025 | 4% | 2 |
| Guthrie County | 1,613 | 2025 | 3.2% | |
| Madison County | 2,470 | 2025 | 1.4% | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Dallas County in 2025?
Hunters reported 1,172 deer: 489 antlered bucks, 105 button bucks and 565 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 1,344.
Is there public hunting land in Dallas County?
Yes. 8,659 acres, 2.3% 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 (5,928 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 16 public hunting areas here.
Does Dallas County have IHAP land?
Not 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 Adair County Boone County Greene County Warren County Guthrie County Madison County