Ida County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land
Ida County covers 432 square miles around Ida Grove, in the DNR's new Zone B. Hunters reported 70 deer here in the 2025 season, 46 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 8% from 2024, and the fewest in the 5 years shown. 0.2% of Ida County is public land open to the public, the largest share public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (303 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 landIda CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 276,565 acres (432 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 70 (46 antlered bucks, 1 button bucks, 22 does and doe fawns) |
| Deer zone (2026) | Zone B: general licenses antlered-buck only, no party hunting |
| Public land | 0.2% (564 acres) |
| Hunting areas | 2 (299 acres inside Ida County) |
| IHAP land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Ida Grove, Holstein, Galva, Cushing, Washta and Kiron |
How many deer are harvested in Ida County?
Hunters reported 70 deer in Ida County in 2025: 46 antlered bucks, 1 button bucks, 22 does and doe fawns and 1 bucks that had shed their antlers.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Doe fawns | Shed-antler bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 70 | 46 | 1 | 21 | 1 | 1 |
| 2024 | 76 | 50 | 4 | 20 | 1 | 1 |
| 2023 | 126 | 76 | 11 | 34 | 4 | 1 |
| 2022 | 144 | 93 | 10 | 39 | 2 | 0 |
| 2021 | 121 | 88 | 7 | 24 | 2 | 0 |
Source: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons), Ida County. Every county's numbers add up to the DNR's statewide row for each season shown.
How much public land is in Ida County?
564 of Ida County's 276,565 acres are public land open to the public (0.2%). The biggest share is public hunting areas on the DNR atlas: 303 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Ida County |
|---|---|---|
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 303 | 0.1% |
| County conservation board and city land | 261 | 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 564 | 0.2% |
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 Ida County
Public hunting areas in Ida County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Crawford Creek Recreation Area: 244 acres
- Washta Access: 55 acres
How do you get to Ida County?
Highways through it: US 59 (about 31 miles inside), US 20 (about 21 miles inside), IA 175 (about 20 miles inside) and IA 31 (about 3 miles inside). Towns inside: Ida Grove, Holstein, Galva, Battle Creek and Arthur. Nearby: Cushing (on the line), Washta (on the line), Kiron (on the line) and Schaller (2 miles).
Which counties border Ida County?
Ida County touches 6 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | IHAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sac County | 285 | 2025 | 1.7% | 3 |
| Monona County | 452 | 2025 | 4% | 8 |
| Cherokee County | 247 | 2025 | 0.4% | 5 |
| Crawford County | 245 | 2025 | 0.4% | 2 |
| Woodbury County | 406 | 2025 | 2.8% | 6 |
| Buena Vista County | 174 | 2025 | 1.5% | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Ida County in 2025?
Hunters reported 70 deer: 46 antlered bucks, 1 button bucks and 22 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 76.
Is there public hunting land in Ida County?
Yes. 564 acres, 0.2% 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 (303 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 2 public hunting areas here.
Does Ida 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.
Iowa hunting Sac County Monona County Cherokee County Crawford County Woodbury County Buena Vista County