Jackson County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land
Jackson County covers 650 square miles around Maquoketa. Hunters reported 2,486 deer here in the 2025 season, 996 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 2% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 5.5% of Jackson County is public land open to the public, the largest share public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (17,719 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 atlasNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasFederal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakesOther DNR landState parks and recreation areasCounty conservation board and city landIHAP landJackson CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 415,767 acres (650 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 2,486 (996 antlered bucks, 260 button bucks, 1,201 does and doe fawns) |
| Deer zone (2026) | Zone A |
| Public land | 5.5% (22,986 acres) |
| Hunting areas | 19 (17,713 acres inside Jackson County) |
| IHAP land | 1 site, 183 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Maquoketa, Bellevue, Miles, Zwingle, Bernard and Delmar |
How many deer are harvested in Jackson County?
Hunters reported 2,486 deer in Jackson County in 2025: 996 antlered bucks, 260 button bucks, 1,201 does and doe fawns and 29 bucks that had shed their antlers.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Doe fawns | Shed-antler bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,486 | 996 | 260 | 1,153 | 48 | 29 |
| 2024 | 2,444 | 1,044 | 214 | 1,100 | 66 | 20 |
| 2023 | 2,419 | 1,007 | 212 | 1,102 | 74 | 24 |
| 2022 | 2,244 | 889 | 225 | 1,045 | 57 | 28 |
| 2021 | 2,183 | 893 | 199 | 1,021 | 56 | 14 |
Source: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons), Jackson County. Every county's numbers add up to the DNR's statewide row for each season shown.
How much public land is in Jackson County?
22,986 of Jackson County's 415,767 acres are public land open to the public (5.5%). The biggest share is public hunting areas on the DNR atlas: 17,719 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Jackson County |
|---|---|---|
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 17,719 | 4.3% |
| Other DNR land | 2,430 | 0.6% |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 933 | 0.2% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 884 | 0.2% |
| County conservation board and city land | 535 | 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 485 | 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 22,986 | 5.5% |
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 Jackson County
Public hunting areas in Jackson County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Upper Mississippi River Fish & Wildlife Refuge: 9,984 acres
- Green Island Wildlife Area - USACOE: 2,567 acres
- Green Island Wildlife Area: 1,718 acres
- Big Mill Creek Wildlife Area: 693 acres
- Pine Valley Nature Area: 670 acres
- Ozark Wildlife Area: 357 acres
- Prairie Creek Recreation Area: 268 acres
- Buzzard Ridge Wildlife Area: 261 acres
- Papke Wildlife Area: 239 acres
- Bellevue State Park: 223 acres
- McAndrews Wildlife Area: 208 acres
- Black Hawk Wildlife Area - Jackson: 178 acres
- Lasoya Wildlife Area: 78 acres
- Baldwin Marsh: 67 acres
- Whitewater Canyon Wildlife Area: 61 acres
- Little Mill Wildlife Area: 42 acres
- Cottonville Conservation Area: 40 acres
- Bald Forty Preserve: 39 acres
- Richardson Timber Preserve: 20 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Ms Rv Pools 11-22 Recreation Area (8,123 acres) and Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife And Fish Refuge (3,639 acres).
IHAP land in Jackson County
The DNR's IHAP layer shows 1 tract in Jackson County, 183 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 Jackson County?
Highways through it: IA 64 (about 43 miles inside), US 61 (about 39 miles inside), US 52 (about 36 miles inside), IA 62 (about 20 miles inside) and IA 67 (about 2 miles inside). Towns inside: Maquoketa, Bellevue, Miles, Preston, Spragueville and Springbrook. Nearby: Zwingle (on the line), Bernard (on the line), Delmar (2 miles) and Andover (4 miles).
Which counties border Jackson County?
Jackson County touches 3 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | IHAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jones County | 2,022 | 2025 | 1.4% | 1 |
| Clinton County | 1,414 | 2025 | 3.7% | 1 |
| Dubuque County | 2,390 | 2025 | 3.1% | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Jackson County in 2025?
Hunters reported 2,486 deer: 996 antlered bucks, 260 button bucks and 1,201 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 2,444.
Is there public hunting land in Jackson County?
Yes. 22,986 acres, 5.5% 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 (17,719 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 19 public hunting areas here.
Does Jackson County have IHAP land?
Yes. 1 tract, 183 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.