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Hamilton County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land

Hamilton County covers 577 square miles around Webster City. Hunters reported 395 deer here in the 2025 season, 211 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 5% from 2024. 1.3% of Hamilton County is public land open to the public, the largest share public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (3,889 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.

Map of Iowa's Hamilton County: public land by manager, IHAP land, the counties around it, highways I-35, US 20 and IA 17; towns: Webster City, Jewell Junction, Stratford, Woolstock and Duncombe

Public hunting areas on the DNR atlasOther DNR landState parks and recreation areasCounty conservation board and city landLand trusts and other open landIHAP landHamilton CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway

Hamilton County at a glance
Size369,578 acres (577 square miles)
Deer reported, 2025395 (211 antlered bucks, 18 button bucks, 160 does and doe fawns)
Deer zone (2026)Zone A
Public land1.3% (4,715 acres)
Hunting areas15 (3,888 acres inside Hamilton County)
IHAP land1 site, 196 acres
Towns in and near itWebster City, Jewell Junction, Stratford, Woolstock, Duncombe and Radcliffe

How many deer are harvested in Hamilton County?

Hunters reported 395 deer in Hamilton County in 2025: 211 antlered bucks, 18 button bucks, 160 does and doe fawns and 6 bucks that had shed their antlers.

SeasonDeer reportedAntlered bucksButton bucksDoesDoe fawnsShed-antler bucks
20253952111815556
20243752012214462
20234152311715296
20223912252413345
20213622182310894

Source: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons), Hamilton County. Every county's numbers add up to the DNR's statewide row for each season shown.

How much public land is in Hamilton County?

4,715 of Hamilton County's 369,578 acres are public land open to the public (1.3%). The biggest share is public hunting areas on the DNR atlas: 3,889 acres.

ManagerAcresShare of Hamilton County
Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas3,8891.1%
County conservation board and city land7660.2%
Land trusts and other open land35under 0.1%
Other DNR land18under 0.1%
State parks and recreation areas7under 0.1%
All public land open to the public4,7151.3%

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 Hamilton County

Public hunting areas in Hamilton County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:

IHAP land in Hamilton County

The DNR's IHAP layer shows 1 tract in Hamilton County, 196 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 Hamilton County?

Highways through it: I-35 (about 48 miles inside), US 20 (about 48 miles inside), IA 17 (about 34 miles inside), IA 175 (about 27 miles inside) and US 69 (about 25 miles inside). Towns inside: Webster City, Jewell Junction, Stratford, Stanhope, Ellsworth and Kamrar. Nearby: Woolstock (on the line), Duncombe (on the line), Radcliffe (on the line) and Story City (2 miles).

Which counties border Hamilton County?

Hamilton County touches 6 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:

CountyDeer harvestedYearPublic landIHAP land sites
Boone County1,16220253.5%1
Story County57320251.7%3
Hardin County95820251.2%
Wright County36520252.1%
Webster County83520252.5%
Franklin County52720250.9%

Questions hunters ask

How many deer were harvested in Hamilton County in 2025?

Hunters reported 395 deer: 211 antlered bucks, 18 button bucks and 160 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 375.

Is there public hunting land in Hamilton County?

Yes. 4,715 acres, 1.3% 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 (3,889 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 15 public hunting areas here.

Does Hamilton County have IHAP land?

Yes. 1 tract, 196 acres, on the DNR's IHAP layer.

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Where these numbers come from

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 Boone County Story County Hardin County Wright County Webster County Franklin County