Montgomery County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land
Montgomery County covers 425 square miles around Red Oak. Hunters reported 316 deer here in the 2025 season, 199 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 12% from 2024, and the fewest in the 5 years shown. 0.7% of Montgomery County is public land open to the public, the largest share state parks and recreation areas (1,093 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 landMontgomery CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 272,045 acres (425 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 316 (199 antlered bucks, 11 button bucks, 103 does and doe fawns) |
| Deer zone (2026) | Zone A |
| Public land | 0.7% (2,025 acres) |
| Hunting areas | 3 (584 acres inside Montgomery County) |
| IHAP land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Red Oak, Villisca, Stanton, Emerson, Nodaway and Henderson |
How many deer are harvested in Montgomery County?
Hunters reported 316 deer in Montgomery County in 2025: 199 antlered bucks, 11 button bucks, 103 does and doe fawns and 3 bucks that had shed their antlers.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Doe fawns | Shed-antler bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 316 | 199 | 11 | 100 | 3 | 3 |
| 2024 | 359 | 215 | 19 | 121 | 2 | 2 |
| 2023 | 441 | 230 | 33 | 168 | 6 | 4 |
| 2022 | 538 | 270 | 32 | 231 | 4 | 1 |
| 2021 | 560 | 283 | 37 | 226 | 12 | 2 |
Source: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons), Montgomery County. Every county's numbers add up to the DNR's statewide row for each season shown.
How much public land is in Montgomery County?
2,025 of Montgomery County's 272,045 acres are public land open to the public (0.7%). The biggest share is state parks and recreation areas: 1,093 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Montgomery County |
|---|---|---|
| State parks and recreation areas | 1,093 | 0.4% |
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 584 | 0.2% |
| County conservation board and city land | 348 | 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 2,025 | 0.7% |
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 Montgomery County
Public hunting areas in Montgomery County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Hacklebarney Woods: 237 acres
- Anderson Wildlife Area: 199 acres
- Erickson Wildlife Area: 148 acres
How do you get to Montgomery County?
Highways through it: US 34 (about 26 miles inside), IA 48 (about 23 miles inside) and US 71 (about 18 miles inside). Towns inside: Red Oak, Villisca, Stanton, Grant, Elliott and Coburg. Nearby: Emerson (on the line), Nodaway (2 miles), Henderson (2 miles) and Imogene (3 miles).
Which counties border Montgomery County?
Montgomery County touches 7 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | IHAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cass County | 298 | 2025 | 0.5% | 3 |
| Page County | 358 | 2025 | 0.3% | 1 |
| Adams County | 518 | 2025 | 0.8% | 2 |
| Mills County | 381 | 2025 | 2.9% | |
| Taylor County | 1,329 | 2025 | 0.5% | 1 |
| Fremont County | 379 | 2025 | 5.8% | 3 |
| Pottawattamie County | 530 | 2025 | 1.1% | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Montgomery County in 2025?
Hunters reported 316 deer: 199 antlered bucks, 11 button bucks and 103 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 359.
Is there public hunting land in Montgomery County?
Yes. 2,025 acres, 0.7% 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 state parks and recreation areas (1,093 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 3 public hunting areas here.
Does Montgomery 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 Cass County Page County Adams County Mills County Taylor County Fremont County Pottawattamie County