Davis County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land
Davis County covers 505 square miles around Bloomfield. Hunters reported 1,611 deer here in the 2025 season, 558 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 9% from 2024, and the fewest in the 5 years shown. 1.8% of Davis County is public land open to the public, the largest share public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (4,207 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 landDavis CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 323,096 acres (505 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 1,611 (558 antlered bucks, 145 button bucks, 886 does and doe fawns) |
| Deer zone (2026) | Zone A |
| Public land | 1.8% (5,771 acres) |
| Hunting areas | 6 (4,205 acres inside Davis County) |
| IHAP land | 1 site, 414 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Bloomfield, Floris, Pulaski, Milton, Eldon and Moulton |
How many deer are harvested in Davis County?
Hunters reported 1,611 deer in Davis County in 2025: 558 antlered bucks, 145 button bucks, 886 does and doe fawns and 22 bucks that had shed their antlers.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Doe fawns | Shed-antler bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,611 | 558 | 145 | 823 | 63 | 22 |
| 2024 | 1,778 | 576 | 188 | 904 | 94 | 16 |
| 2023 | 1,721 | 581 | 188 | 854 | 81 | 17 |
| 2022 | 1,930 | 706 | 190 | 942 | 75 | 17 |
| 2021 | 1,765 | 705 | 145 | 848 | 51 | 16 |
Source: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons), Davis County. Every county's numbers add up to the DNR's statewide row for each season shown.
How much public land is in Davis County?
5,771 of Davis County's 323,096 acres are public land open to the public (1.8%). The biggest share is public hunting areas on the DNR atlas: 4,207 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Davis County |
|---|---|---|
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 4,207 | 1.3% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 1,181 | 0.4% |
| County conservation board and city land | 363 | 0.1% |
| Other DNR land | 20 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 5,771 | 1.8% |
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 Davis County
Public hunting areas in Davis County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Eldon Wildlife Area: 1,292 acres
- Stephens State Forest - Unionville Unit: 1,083 acres
- Soap Creek Wildlife Area - Davis: 782 acres
- Bell Branch Wildlife Area: 514 acres
- McGowen Recreation & Wildlife Area: 301 acres
- Pioneer Ridge Nature Area: 233 acres
IHAP land in Davis County
The DNR's IHAP layer shows 1 tract in Davis County, 414 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 Davis County?
Highways through it: IA 2 (about 25 miles inside), US 63 (about 22 miles inside), IA 273 (about 8 miles inside) and IA 202 (about 2 miles inside). Towns inside: Bloomfield, Floris, Pulaski and Drakesville. Nearby: Milton (on the line), Eldon (on the line), Moulton (2 miles) and Unionville (3 miles).
Which counties border Davis County?
Davis County touches 5 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | IHAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County | 1,567 | 2025 | 1.9% | |
| Wapello County | 1,310 | 2025 | 1.5% | |
| Appanoose County | 2,066 | 2025 | 11.2% | 1 |
| Jefferson County | 1,446 | 2025 | 0.6% | |
| Van Buren County | 2,181 | 2025 | 3.2% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Davis County in 2025?
Hunters reported 1,611 deer: 558 antlered bucks, 145 button bucks and 886 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 1,778.
Is there public hunting land in Davis County?
Yes. 5,771 acres, 1.8% 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 (4,207 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 6 public hunting areas here.
Does Davis County have IHAP land?
Yes. 1 tract, 414 acres, on the DNR's IHAP layer.
Get a Iowa hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Iowa are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Iowa included.
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 Monroe County Wapello County Appanoose County Jefferson County Van Buren County