Marion County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land
Marion County covers 570 square miles around Pella. Hunters reported 1,652 deer here in the 2025 season, 667 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 6% from 2024, and the fewest in the 5 years shown. 12% of Marion County is public land open to the public, the largest share public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (39,564 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 landMarion CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 365,112 acres (570 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 1,652 (667 antlered bucks, 129 button bucks, 844 does and doe fawns) |
| Deer zone (2026) | Zone A |
| Public land | 12% (43,936 acres) |
| Hunting areas | 9 (39,739 acres inside Marion County) |
| IHAP land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Pella, Knoxville, Pleasantville, Monroe, Runnells and Lovilia |
How many deer are harvested in Marion County?
Hunters reported 1,652 deer in Marion County in 2025: 667 antlered bucks, 129 button bucks, 844 does and doe fawns and 12 bucks that had shed their antlers.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Doe fawns | Shed-antler bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,652 | 667 | 129 | 813 | 31 | 12 |
| 2024 | 1,764 | 716 | 134 | 853 | 44 | 17 |
| 2023 | 1,828 | 700 | 163 | 884 | 64 | 17 |
| 2022 | 1,950 | 809 | 177 | 899 | 44 | 21 |
| 2021 | 1,838 | 795 | 140 | 844 | 44 | 15 |
Source: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons), Marion County. Every county's numbers add up to the DNR's statewide row for each season shown.
How much public land is in Marion County?
43,936 of Marion County's 365,112 acres are public land open to the public (12%). The biggest share is public hunting areas on the DNR atlas: 39,564 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Marion County |
|---|---|---|
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 39,564 | 10.8% |
| County conservation board and city land | 1,852 | 0.5% |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 1,592 | 0.4% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 782 | 0.2% |
| Other DNR land | 146 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 43,936 | 12% |
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 Marion County
Public hunting areas in Marion County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Red Rock - USACOE: 23,370 acres
- Red Rock - Marion: 14,456 acres
- Wilcox Wildlife Area: 585 acres
- Robert's Creek Park: 497 acres
- Pleasant Prairie Wildlife Area: 340 acres
- Pella Wildlife Area: 277 acres
- Cordova Park: 149 acres
- Paul Todd Wildlife Area: 49 acres
- Bauer Park: 16 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Lake Red Rock (20,101 acres).
How do you get to Marion County?
Highways through it: IA 5 (about 49 miles inside), IA 92 (about 31 miles inside), IA 163 (about 29 miles inside), IA 14 (about 26 miles inside) and IA 181 (about 9 miles inside). Towns inside: Pella, Knoxville, Pleasantville, Melcher-Dallas, Harvey and Swan. Nearby: Monroe (on the line), Runnells (2 miles), Lovilia (2 miles) and Lacona (3 miles).
Which counties border Marion County?
Marion County touches 6 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | IHAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County | 966 | 2025 | 12.3% | |
| Lucas County | 1,660 | 2025 | 6.9% | 2 |
| Jasper County | 934 | 2025 | 3.1% | |
| Monroe County | 1,567 | 2025 | 1.9% | |
| Warren County | 2,385 | 2025 | 4% | 2 |
| Mahaska County | 959 | 2025 | 1.6% | 2 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Marion County in 2025?
Hunters reported 1,652 deer: 667 antlered bucks, 129 button bucks and 844 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 1,764.
Is there public hunting land in Marion County?
Yes. 43,936 acres, 12% 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 (39,564 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 9 public hunting areas here.
Does Marion 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 Polk County Lucas County Jasper County Monroe County Warren County Mahaska County