Humboldt County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land
Humboldt County covers 436 square miles around Humboldt. Hunters reported 214 deer here in the 2025 season, 124 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 11% from 2024. 0.5% of Humboldt County is public land open to the public, the largest share public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (829 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 atlasCounty conservation board and city landIHAP landHumboldt CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 278,837 acres (436 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 214 (124 antlered bucks, 10 button bucks, 70 does and doe fawns) |
| Deer zone (2026) | Zone A |
| Public land | 0.5% (1,516 acres) |
| Hunting areas | 10 (824 acres inside Humboldt County) |
| IHAP land | 1 site, 74 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Humboldt, Gilmore City, Renwick, Lu Verne, Badger and Goldfield |
How many deer are harvested in Humboldt County?
Hunters reported 214 deer in Humboldt County in 2025: 124 antlered bucks, 10 button bucks, 70 does and doe fawns and 10 bucks that had shed their antlers.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Doe fawns | Shed-antler bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 214 | 124 | 10 | 68 | 2 | 10 |
| 2024 | 192 | 121 | 9 | 58 | 4 | 0 |
| 2023 | 217 | 142 | 12 | 57 | 4 | 2 |
| 2022 | 254 | 163 | 13 | 69 | 6 | 3 |
| 2021 | 207 | 131 | 11 | 61 | 2 | 2 |
Source: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons), Humboldt County. Every county's numbers add up to the DNR's statewide row for each season shown.
How much public land is in Humboldt County?
1,516 of Humboldt County's 278,837 acres are public land open to the public (0.5%). The biggest share is public hunting areas on the DNR atlas: 829 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Humboldt County |
|---|---|---|
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 829 | 0.3% |
| County conservation board and city land | 685 | 0.2% |
| Other DNR land | 1 | under 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 1 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 1,516 | 0.5% |
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 Humboldt County
Public hunting areas in Humboldt County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Three Rivers Wildlife Area - Humboldt: 148 acres
- Bradgate Wildlife Area: 125 acres
- Willows Access: 118 acres
- Ottosen Potholes Wildlife Area: 108 acres
- Pioneer Prairie Pothole: 79 acres
- Rutland Marsh: 68 acres
- East Fork Des Moines River Wildlife Area: 64 acres
- East Fork Access: 57 acres
- Banwart Prairie: 30 acres
- Beaver Run - Humboldt: 27 acres
IHAP land in Humboldt County
The DNR's IHAP layer shows 1 tract in Humboldt County, 74 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 Humboldt County?
Highways through it: IA 3 (about 24 miles inside), US 169 (about 18 miles inside), IA 17 (about 7 miles inside) and IA 408 (about 3 miles inside). Towns inside: Humboldt, Gilmore City, Renwick, Thor, Rutland and Dakota City. Nearby: Lu Verne (on the line), Badger (2 miles), Goldfield (3 miles) and Eagle Grove (4 miles).
Which counties border Humboldt County?
Humboldt County touches 6 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | IHAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wright County | 365 | 2025 | 2.1% | |
| Hancock County | 334 | 2025 | 2.4% | 6 |
| Kossuth County | 382 | 2025 | 1.6% | 8 |
| Webster County | 835 | 2025 | 2.5% | |
| Palo Alto County | 279 | 2025 | 3.1% | 5 |
| Pocahontas County | 136 | 2025 | 1.3% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Humboldt County in 2025?
Hunters reported 214 deer: 124 antlered bucks, 10 button bucks and 70 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 192.
Is there public hunting land in Humboldt County?
Yes. 1,516 acres, 0.5% 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 (829 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 10 public hunting areas here.
Does Humboldt County have IHAP land?
Yes. 1 tract, 74 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 Wright County Hancock County Kossuth County Webster County Palo Alto County Pocahontas County