Des Moines County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land
Des Moines County covers 430 square miles around Burlington. Hunters reported 1,561 deer here in the 2025 season, 579 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 5% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 5.8% of Des Moines County is public land open to the public, the largest share other DNR land (8,143 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 landDes Moines CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 275,063 acres (430 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 1,561 (579 antlered bucks, 147 button bucks, 820 does and doe fawns) |
| Deer zone (2026) | Zone A |
| Public land | 5.8% (16,034 acres) |
| Hunting areas | 13 (6,167 acres inside Des Moines County) |
| IHAP land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Burlington, West Burlington, Mediapolis, Morning Sun, New London and Oakville |
How many deer are harvested in Des Moines County?
Hunters reported 1,561 deer in Des Moines County in 2025: 579 antlered bucks, 147 button bucks, 820 does and doe fawns and 15 bucks that had shed their antlers.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Doe fawns | Shed-antler bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,561 | 579 | 147 | 767 | 53 | 15 |
| 2024 | 1,483 | 534 | 134 | 744 | 54 | 17 |
| 2023 | 1,455 | 578 | 131 | 686 | 48 | 12 |
| 2022 | 1,406 | 589 | 104 | 682 | 25 | 6 |
| 2021 | 1,305 | 521 | 127 | 611 | 40 | 6 |
Source: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons), Des Moines County. Every county's numbers add up to the DNR's statewide row for each season shown.
How much public land is in Des Moines County?
16,034 of Des Moines County's 275,063 acres are public land open to the public (5.8%). The biggest share is other DNR land: 8,143 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Des Moines County |
|---|---|---|
| Other DNR land | 8,143 | 3% |
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 6,171 | 2.2% |
| County conservation board and city land | 725 | 0.3% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 499 | 0.2% |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 476 | 0.2% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 20 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 16,034 | 5.8% |
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 Des Moines County
Public hunting areas in Des Moines County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Mississippi River Islands: 3,541 acres
- Big Hollow Creek Rec. Area: 763 acres
- Blackhawk Bottoms Wildlife Area: 588 acres
- Huron Flats Wildlife Area: 418 acres
- Leopold Recreation Area: 220 acres
- Hickory Bend: 207 acres
- Augusta Wildlife Area: 115 acres
- Linder Conservation Area: 104 acres
- Welter Recreation Area: 84 acres
- Hunt Woods: 60 acres
- Dry Branch Creek Wildlife Area: 35 acres
- Sullivan Slough Miss. River Access: 22 acres
- Hawkeye Dolbee Access: 10 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Ms Rv Pools 11-22 Recreation Area (3,581 acres).
How do you get to Des Moines County?
Highways through it: US 61 (about 38 miles inside) and US 34 (about 37 miles inside). Towns inside: Burlington, West Burlington, Mediapolis, Danville, Middletown and Beaverdale. Nearby: Morning Sun (on the line), New London (2 miles), Oakville (2 miles) and Winfield (5 miles).
Which counties border Des Moines County?
Des Moines County touches 3 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | IHAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County | 2,257 | 2025 | 6.3% | |
| Henry County | 1,448 | 2025 | 0.9% | |
| Louisa County | 1,556 | 2025 | 9.6% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Des Moines County in 2025?
Hunters reported 1,561 deer: 579 antlered bucks, 147 button bucks and 820 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 1,483.
Is there public hunting land in Des Moines County?
Yes. 16,034 acres, 5.8% 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 other DNR land (8,143 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 13 public hunting areas here.
Does Des Moines 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.