Lyon County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land
Lyon County covers 588 square miles around Rock Rapids, in the DNR's new Zone B. Hunters reported 226 deer here in the 2025 season, 141 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 7% from 2024, and the fewest in the 5 years shown. 0.8% of Lyon County is public land open to the public, the largest share public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (3,037 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 landLyon CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 376,033 acres (588 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 226 (141 antlered bucks, 11 button bucks, 72 does and doe fawns) |
| Deer zone (2026) | Zone B: general licenses antlered-buck only, no party hunting |
| Public land | 0.8% (3,109 acres) |
| Hunting areas | 16 (3,032 acres inside Lyon County) |
| IHAP land | 1 site, 152 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Rock Rapids, George, Lester, Matlock, Ashton and Rock Valley |
How many deer are harvested in Lyon County?
Hunters reported 226 deer in Lyon County in 2025: 141 antlered bucks, 11 button bucks, 72 does and doe fawns and 2 bucks that had shed their antlers.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Doe fawns | Shed-antler bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 226 | 141 | 11 | 68 | 4 | 2 |
| 2024 | 244 | 164 | 16 | 57 | 6 | 1 |
| 2023 | 267 | 153 | 21 | 85 | 6 | 2 |
| 2022 | 366 | 205 | 16 | 133 | 8 | 4 |
| 2021 | 344 | 197 | 22 | 119 | 2 | 4 |
Source: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons), Lyon County. Every county's numbers add up to the DNR's statewide row for each season shown.
How much public land is in Lyon County?
3,109 of Lyon County's 376,033 acres are public land open to the public (0.8%). The biggest share is public hunting areas on the DNR atlas: 3,037 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Lyon County |
|---|---|---|
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 3,037 | 0.8% |
| County conservation board and city land | 65 | under 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 6 | under 0.1% |
| Other DNR land | 1 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 3,109 | 0.8% |
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 Lyon County
Public hunting areas in Lyon County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Big Sioux River Complex: 936 acres
- Peterson Prairie Wildlife Area: 321 acres
- Lake Pahoja Recreation Park: 298 acres
- Boon Ranch Wildlife Area: 214 acres
- Little Rock River Wildlife Area - North Unit: 213 acres
- Little Rock River Wildlife Area - Central Unit: 173 acres
- Blood Run/Rock Island National Landmark: 167 acres
- Hidden Bridge Wildlife Area: 163 acres
- Blankespoon Wildlife Area: 162 acres
- Gitchie Manitou: 139 acres
- George Rural Water Area: 94 acres
- Boersma Wildlife Area: 60 acres
- Doon Wildlife Area: 37 acres
- Kanengieter Wildlife Area: 30 acres
- Venenga Wildlife Area: 18 acres
- Lakewood Corners Wildlife Area: 7 acres
IHAP land in Lyon County
The DNR's IHAP layer shows 1 tract in Lyon County, 152 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 Lyon County?
Highways through it: IA 9 (about 36 miles inside), US 75 (about 18 miles inside), IA 182 (about 9 miles inside) and US 18 (about 8 miles inside). Towns inside: Rock Rapids, George, Lester, Inwood, Larchwood and Little Rock. Nearby: Matlock (on the line), Ashton (4 miles), Rock Valley (4 miles) and Hull (5 miles).
Which counties border Lyon County?
Lyon County touches 3 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | IHAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sioux County | 165 | 2025 | 0.6% | 1 |
| O'Brien County | 163 | 2025 | 0.9% | |
| Osceola County | 121 | 2025 | 1.2% | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Lyon County in 2025?
Hunters reported 226 deer: 141 antlered bucks, 11 button bucks and 72 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 244.
Is there public hunting land in Lyon County?
Yes. 3,109 acres, 0.8% 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 (3,037 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 16 public hunting areas here.
Does Lyon County have IHAP land?
Yes. 1 tract, 152 acres, on the DNR's IHAP layer.
Get a Iowa hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Iowa are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Iowa included.
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.