Decatur County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land
Decatur County covers 533 square miles around Lamoni. Hunters reported 1,508 deer here in the 2025 season, 618 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 5% from 2024. 2.5% of Decatur County is public land open to the public, the largest share public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (7,499 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 landDecatur CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 341,376 acres (533 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 1,508 (618 antlered bucks, 101 button bucks, 776 does and doe fawns) |
| Deer zone (2026) | Zone A |
| Public land | 2.5% (8,696 acres) |
| Hunting areas | 8 (7,499 acres inside Decatur County) |
| IHAP land | 2 sites, 229 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Lamoni, Leon, Garden Grove, Lineville, Kellerton and Beaconsfield |
How many deer are harvested in Decatur County?
Hunters reported 1,508 deer in Decatur County in 2025: 618 antlered bucks, 101 button bucks, 776 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 | 1,508 | 618 | 101 | 742 | 34 | 13 |
| 2024 | 1,439 | 612 | 103 | 669 | 38 | 17 |
| 2023 | 1,591 | 699 | 97 | 739 | 38 | 18 |
| 2022 | 1,928 | 776 | 103 | 989 | 44 | 16 |
| 2021 | 1,991 | 763 | 88 | 1,096 | 31 | 13 |
Source: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons), Decatur County. Every county's numbers add up to the DNR's statewide row for each season shown.
How much public land is in Decatur County?
8,696 of Decatur County's 341,376 acres are public land open to the public (2.5%). The biggest share is public hunting areas on the DNR atlas: 7,499 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Decatur County |
|---|---|---|
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 7,499 | 2.2% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 1,167 | 0.3% |
| County conservation board and city land | 20 | under 0.1% |
| Other DNR land | 10 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 8,696 | 2.5% |
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 Decatur County
Public hunting areas in Decatur County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Sand Creek Wildlife Area: 2,674 acres
- Dekalb Wildlife Area: 2,313 acres
- Little River: 1,510 acres
- Little River County Park: 589 acres
- Slip Bluff Park: 288 acres
- Elk Creek Wildlife Area: 52 acres
- Kobville Park: 40 acres
- Wirth Springer Woods: 33 acres
IHAP land in Decatur County
The DNR's IHAP layer shows 2 tracts in Decatur County, 229 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 Decatur County?
Highways through it: I-35 (about 49 miles inside), US 69 (about 31 miles inside), IA 2 (about 24 miles inside), IA 294 (about 6 miles inside) and IA 204 (about 5 miles inside). Towns inside: Lamoni, Leon, Garden Grove, Davis City, Le Roy and Decatur. Nearby: Lineville (2 miles), Kellerton (2 miles), Beaconsfield (2 miles) and Humeston (3 miles).
Which counties border Decatur County?
Decatur County touches 5 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | IHAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucas County | 1,660 | 2025 | 6.9% | 2 |
| Union County | 1,051 | 2025 | 2.6% | 5 |
| Wayne County | 1,392 | 2025 | 1.6% | |
| Clarke County | 1,531 | 2025 | 1.4% | 4 |
| Ringgold County | 1,353 | 2025 | 2.5% | 5 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Decatur County in 2025?
Hunters reported 1,508 deer: 618 antlered bucks, 101 button bucks and 776 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 1,439.
Is there public hunting land in Decatur County?
Yes. 8,696 acres, 2.5% 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 public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (7,499 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 8 public hunting areas here.
Does Decatur County have IHAP land?
Yes. 2 tracts, 229 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 Lucas County Union County Wayne County Clarke County Ringgold County