Muscatine County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land
Muscatine County covers 449 square miles around Muscatine. Hunters reported 1,393 deer here in the 2025 season, 540 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 1% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 4.1% of Muscatine County is public land open to the public, the largest share public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (6,441 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 atlasFederal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakesOther DNR landState parks and recreation areasCounty conservation board and city landLand trusts and other open landMuscatine CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 287,453 acres (449 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 1,393 (540 antlered bucks, 150 button bucks, 674 does and doe fawns) |
| Deer zone (2026) | Zone A |
| Public land | 4.1% (11,695 acres) |
| Hunting areas | 9 (6,438 acres inside Muscatine County) |
| IHAP land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Muscatine, Wilton, Fruitland, Walcott, Durant and Letts |
How many deer are harvested in Muscatine County?
Hunters reported 1,393 deer in Muscatine County in 2025: 540 antlered bucks, 150 button bucks, 674 does and doe fawns and 29 bucks that had shed their antlers.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Doe fawns | Shed-antler bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,393 | 540 | 150 | 639 | 35 | 29 |
| 2024 | 1,379 | 559 | 138 | 621 | 40 | 21 |
| 2023 | 1,313 | 529 | 132 | 585 | 57 | 10 |
| 2022 | 1,269 | 531 | 133 | 572 | 27 | 6 |
| 2021 | 1,207 | 502 | 142 | 531 | 23 | 9 |
Source: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons), Muscatine County. Every county's numbers add up to the DNR's statewide row for each season shown.
How much public land is in Muscatine County?
11,695 of Muscatine County's 287,453 acres are public land open to the public (4.1%). The biggest share is public hunting areas on the DNR atlas: 6,441 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Muscatine County |
|---|---|---|
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 6,441 | 2.2% |
| Other DNR land | 3,603 | 1.3% |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 667 | 0.2% |
| County conservation board and city land | 512 | 0.2% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 433 | 0.2% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 39 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 11,695 | 4.1% |
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 Muscatine County
Public hunting areas in Muscatine County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Wiese Slough Wildlife Area: 1,871 acres
- Cedar Bottoms Wildlife Area: 1,644 acres
- Mississippi River Islands: 897 acres
- Red Cedar Wildlife Area: 786 acres
- Saulsbury Bridge Recreation Area: 718 acres
- Cedar Bluffs Recreation Area: 180 acres
- Pike Run Wildlife Area: 175 acres
- Shield Prairie WMA: 85 acres
- Richardson Wildlife Area: 82 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Ms Rv Pools 11-22 Recreation Area (1,488 acres).
How do you get to Muscatine County?
Highways through it: US 61 (about 59 miles inside), IA 22 (about 51 miles inside), IA 92 (about 22 miles inside), IA 70 (about 20 miles inside) and US 6 (about 18 miles inside). Towns inside: Muscatine, Wilton, Fruitland, West Liberty, Conesville and Nichols. Nearby: Walcott (on the line), Durant (on the line), Letts (on the line) and Buffalo (on the line).
Which counties border Muscatine County?
Muscatine County touches 4 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | IHAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar County | 1,221 | 2025 | 0.3% | |
| Scott County | 830 | 2025 | 5% | |
| Louisa County | 1,556 | 2025 | 9.6% | |
| Johnson County | 1,968 | 2025 | 9.9% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Muscatine County in 2025?
Hunters reported 1,393 deer: 540 antlered bucks, 150 button bucks and 674 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 1,379.
Is there public hunting land in Muscatine County?
Yes. 11,695 acres, 4.1% 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 (6,441 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 9 public hunting areas here.
Does Muscatine 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 Cedar County Scott County Louisa County Johnson County