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Hardin County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land

Hardin County covers 570 square miles around Iowa Falls. Hunters reported 958 deer here in the 2025 season, 398 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 4% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 1.2% of Hardin County is public land open to the public, the largest share public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (3,363 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 Hardin County: public land by manager, the counties around it, highways US 20, IA 175 and US 65; towns: Iowa Falls, Eldora, Ackley, Liscomb and Williams

Public hunting areas on the DNR atlasState parks and recreation areasCounty conservation board and city landHardin CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway

Hardin County at a glance
Size364,771 acres (570 square miles)
Deer reported, 2025958 (398 antlered bucks, 53 button bucks, 482 does and doe fawns)
Deer zone (2026)Zone A
Public land1.2% (4,488 acres)
Hunting areas42 (3,355 acres inside Hardin County)
IHAP landNone mapped this year
Towns in and near itIowa Falls, Eldora, Ackley, Liscomb, Williams and Popejoy

How many deer are harvested in Hardin County?

Hunters reported 958 deer in Hardin County in 2025: 398 antlered bucks, 53 button bucks, 482 does and doe fawns and 25 bucks that had shed their antlers.

SeasonDeer reportedAntlered bucksButton bucksDoesDoe fawnsShed-antler bucks
2025958398534711125
2024925433554101215
2023927427614111414
2022865411433861411
202182941053342195

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

How much public land is in Hardin County?

4,488 of Hardin County's 364,771 acres are public land open to the public (1.2%). The biggest share is public hunting areas on the DNR atlas: 3,363 acres.

ManagerAcresShare of Hardin County
Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas3,3630.9%
State parks and recreation areas6880.2%
County conservation board and city land4280.1%
Land trusts and other open land9under 0.1%
All public land open to the public4,4881.2%

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 Hardin County

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

And 2 smaller ones.

How do you get to Hardin County?

Highways through it: US 20 (about 50 miles inside), IA 175 (about 27 miles inside), US 65 (about 27 miles inside), IA 941 (about 12 miles inside) and IA 57 (about 5 miles inside). Towns inside: Iowa Falls, Eldora, Ackley, Hubbard, Alden and New Providence. Nearby: Liscomb (on the line), Williams (2 miles), Popejoy (3 miles) and McCallsburg (3 miles).

Which counties border Hardin County?

Hardin County touches 7 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:

CountyDeer harvestedYearPublic landIHAP land sites
Story County57320251.7%3
Butler County1,21120252.8%1
Grundy County14320250.3%
Wright County36520252.1%
Franklin County52720250.9%
Hamilton County39520251.3%1
Marshall County60820250.9%1

Questions hunters ask

How many deer were harvested in Hardin County in 2025?

Hunters reported 958 deer: 398 antlered bucks, 53 button bucks and 482 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 925.

Is there public hunting land in Hardin County?

Yes. 4,488 acres, 1.2% 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 (3,363 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 42 public hunting areas here.

Does Hardin County have IHAP land?

Not 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 Story County Butler County Grundy County Wright County Franklin County Hamilton County Marshall County