Mahaska County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land
Mahaska County covers 573 square miles around Oskaloosa. Hunters reported 959 deer here in the 2025 season, 427 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is about the same as 2024. 1.6% of Mahaska County is public land open to the public, the largest share public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (4,593 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 atlasState parks and recreation areasCounty conservation board and city landIHAP landMahaska CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 366,971 acres (573 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 959 (427 antlered bucks, 83 button bucks, 439 does and doe fawns) |
| Deer zone (2026) | Zone A |
| Public land | 1.6% (5,814 acres) |
| Hunting areas | 17 (4,593 acres inside Mahaska County) |
| IHAP land | 2 sites, 239 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Oskaloosa, Fremont, New Sharon, Eddyville, Bussey and Gibson |
How many deer are harvested in Mahaska County?
Hunters reported 959 deer in Mahaska County in 2025: 427 antlered bucks, 83 button bucks, 439 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 | 959 | 427 | 83 | 416 | 23 | 10 |
| 2024 | 961 | 432 | 68 | 419 | 27 | 15 |
| 2023 | 934 | 444 | 80 | 383 | 18 | 9 |
| 2022 | 972 | 436 | 82 | 430 | 19 | 5 |
| 2021 | 986 | 442 | 87 | 433 | 19 | 5 |
Source: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons), Mahaska County. Every county's numbers add up to the DNR's statewide row for each season shown.
How much public land is in Mahaska County?
5,814 of Mahaska County's 366,971 acres are public land open to the public (1.6%). The biggest share is public hunting areas on the DNR atlas: 4,593 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Mahaska County |
|---|---|---|
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 4,593 | 1.3% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 726 | 0.2% |
| County conservation board and city land | 493 | 0.1% |
| Other DNR land | 2 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 5,814 | 1.6% |
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 Mahaska County
Public hunting areas in Mahaska County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Hawthorn Wildlife Area: 1,807 acres
- Winford Wildlife Area: 637 acres
- Hull Wildlife Area: 568 acres
- Cedar Bluffs Natural Area State Preserve: 228 acres
- Willie J. Suchy Wildlife Area: 224 acres
- Russell Wildlife Area: 214 acres
- Vos Addition To Russell Wildlife Area: 202 acres
- Maskunky Marsh: 104 acres
- North Skunk River Wildlife Area: 100 acres
- Lake Keomah Wildlife Area: 99 acres
- Rose Hill Access: 86 acres
- Quercus Wilderness Area: 77 acres
- Ever-Tru Natural Wilderness Area: 75 acres
- Rose Hill Marsh: 61 acres
- Swanson-Lomax Wildlife Area: 50 acres
- Robertson Access: 33 acres
- Union Mills Access: 28 acres
IHAP land in Mahaska County
The DNR's IHAP layer shows 2 tracts in Mahaska County, 239 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 Mahaska County?
Highways through it: US 63 (about 36 miles inside), IA 163 (about 32 miles inside), IA 92 (about 25 miles inside), IA 23 (about 15 miles inside) and IA 146 (about 3 miles inside). Towns inside: Oskaloosa, Fremont, New Sharon, University Park, Beacon and Barnes City. Nearby: Eddyville (on the line), Bussey (on the line), Gibson (on the line) and Kirkville (on the line).
Which counties border Mahaska County?
Mahaska County touches 6 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | IHAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jasper County | 934 | 2025 | 3.1% | |
| Keokuk County | 1,152 | 2025 | 1.1% | 5 |
| Marion County | 1,652 | 2025 | 12% | |
| Monroe County | 1,567 | 2025 | 1.9% | |
| Wapello County | 1,310 | 2025 | 1.5% | |
| Poweshiek County | 736 | 2025 | 0.6% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Mahaska County in 2025?
Hunters reported 959 deer: 427 antlered bucks, 83 button bucks and 439 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 961.
Is there public hunting land in Mahaska County?
Yes. 5,814 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 (4,593 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 17 public hunting areas here.
Does Mahaska County have IHAP land?
Yes. 2 tracts, 239 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 Jasper County Keokuk County Marion County Monroe County Wapello County Poweshiek County