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Kossuth County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land

Kossuth County covers 974 square miles around Algona. Hunters reported 382 deer here in the 2025 season, 215 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 1% from 2024. 1.6% of Kossuth County is public land open to the public, the largest share public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (6,996 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 Kossuth County: public land by manager, IHAP land, the counties around it, highways US 169, US 18 and IA 9; towns: Algona, Lu Verne, Swea City, West Bend and Corwith

Public hunting areas on the DNR atlasNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasState parks and recreation areasCounty conservation board and city landIHAP landKossuth CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway

Kossuth County at a glance
Size623,626 acres (974 square miles)
Deer reported, 2025382 (215 antlered bucks, 13 button bucks, 138 does and doe fawns)
Deer zone (2026)Zone A
Public land1.6% (9,909 acres)
Hunting areas43 (6,993 acres inside Kossuth County)
IHAP land8 sites, 1,084 acres
Towns in and near itAlgona, Lu Verne, Swea City, West Bend, Corwith and Ottosen

How many deer are harvested in Kossuth County?

Hunters reported 382 deer in Kossuth County in 2025: 215 antlered bucks, 13 button bucks, 138 does and doe fawns and 16 bucks that had shed their antlers.

SeasonDeer reportedAntlered bucksButton bucksDoesDoe fawnsShed-antler bucks
202538221513135316
20243792252511964
20233922431112945
20223902501811282
202135020621109113

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

How much public land is in Kossuth County?

9,909 of Kossuth County's 623,626 acres are public land open to the public (1.6%). The biggest share is public hunting areas on the DNR atlas: 6,996 acres.

ManagerAcresShare of Kossuth County
Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas6,9961.1%
National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas2,5370.4%
County conservation board and city land246under 0.1%
State parks and recreation areas129under 0.1%
Other DNR land1under 0.1%
All public land open to the public9,9091.6%

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 Kossuth County

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

And 3 smaller ones.

Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Kossuth County Waterfowl Production Area (3,560 acres) and Union Slough National Wildlife Refuge (2,836 acres).

IHAP land in Kossuth County

The DNR's IHAP layer shows 8 tracts in Kossuth County, 1,084 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 Kossuth County?

Highways through it: US 169 (about 48 miles inside), US 18 (about 24 miles inside), IA 9 (about 24 miles inside), IA 15 (about 18 miles inside) and IA 44 (about 11 miles inside). Towns inside: Algona, Lu Verne, Swea City, Lakota, Wesley and Bancroft. Nearby: West Bend (on the line), Corwith (on the line), Ottosen (on the line) and Buffalo Center (on the line).

Which counties border Kossuth County?

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

CountyDeer harvestedYearPublic landIHAP land sites
Emmet County23720255.3%1
Wright County36520252.1%
Hancock County33420252.4%6
Humboldt County21420250.5%1
Palo Alto County27920253.1%5
Winnebago County33820254.6%5
Pocahontas County13620251.3%

Questions hunters ask

How many deer were harvested in Kossuth County in 2025?

Hunters reported 382 deer: 215 antlered bucks, 13 button bucks and 138 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 379.

Is there public hunting land in Kossuth County?

Yes. 9,909 acres, 1.6% 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 (6,996 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 43 public hunting areas here.

Does Kossuth County have IHAP land?

Yes. 8 tracts, 1,084 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 Emmet County Wright County Hancock County Humboldt County Palo Alto County Winnebago County Pocahontas County