Pottawattamie County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land
Pottawattamie County covers 959 square miles around Council Bluffs. Hunters reported 530 deer here in the 2025 season, 332 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 21% from 2024. 1.1% of Pottawattamie County is public land open to the public, the largest share county conservation board and city land (2,705 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 areasOther DNR landState parks and recreation areasCounty conservation board and city landIHAP landPottawattamie CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 613,718 acres (959 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 530 (332 antlered bucks, 29 button bucks, 163 does and doe fawns) |
| Deer zone (2026) | Zone A |
| Public land | 1.1% (6,891 acres) |
| Hunting areas | 9 (1,467 acres inside Pottawattamie County) |
| IHAP land | 1 site, 158 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Council Bluffs, Avoca, Walnut, Elliott, Griswold and Henderson |
How many deer are harvested in Pottawattamie County?
Hunters reported 530 deer in Pottawattamie County in 2025: 332 antlered bucks, 29 button bucks, 163 does and doe fawns and 6 bucks that had shed their antlers.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Doe fawns | Shed-antler bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 530 | 332 | 29 | 156 | 7 | 6 |
| 2024 | 439 | 272 | 25 | 120 | 11 | 11 |
| 2023 | 608 | 325 | 36 | 225 | 20 | 2 |
| 2022 | 718 | 379 | 46 | 279 | 9 | 5 |
| 2021 | 820 | 395 | 59 | 348 | 11 | 7 |
Source: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons), Pottawattamie County. Every county's numbers add up to the DNR's statewide row for each season shown.
How much public land is in Pottawattamie County?
6,891 of Pottawattamie County's 613,718 acres are public land open to the public (1.1%). The biggest share is county conservation board and city land: 2,705 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Pottawattamie County |
|---|---|---|
| County conservation board and city land | 2,705 | 0.4% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 1,803 | 0.3% |
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 1,468 | 0.2% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 634 | 0.1% |
| Other DNR land | 278 | under 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 3 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 6,891 | 1.1% |
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 Pottawattamie County
Public hunting areas in Pottawattamie County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Wilson Island State Recreation Area: 537 acres
- Farm Creek Public Wildlife Area: 315 acres
- Wheeler Grove Conservation Area: 249 acres
- Nobles Lake Wildlife Area: 114 acres
- Pigeon Creek Wildlife Area: 94 acres
- Boyer Bend Wildlife Area: 76 acres
- Green Hill Wildlife Area: 59 acres
- Pheasants Forever Food Plot: 13 acres
- Green Wildlife Area: 10 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Desoto National Wildlife Refuge (637 acres).
IHAP land in Pottawattamie County
The DNR's IHAP layer shows 1 tract in Pottawattamie County, 158 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 Pottawattamie County?
Highways through it: I-80 (about 99 miles inside), I-29 (about 58 miles inside), IA 92 (about 44 miles inside), US 6 (about 43 miles inside) and I-880 (about 32 miles inside). Towns inside: Council Bluffs, Avoca, Walnut, Shelby, Carter Lake and Oakland. Nearby: Elliott (on the line), Griswold (on the line), Henderson (on the line) and Marne (2 miles).
Which counties border Pottawattamie County?
Pottawattamie County touches 5 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 |
| Mills County | 381 | 2025 | 2.9% | |
| Shelby County | 142 | 2025 | 0.5% | |
| Harrison County | 532 | 2025 | 3.9% | 15 |
| Montgomery County | 316 | 2025 | 0.7% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Pottawattamie County in 2025?
Hunters reported 530 deer: 332 antlered bucks, 29 button bucks and 163 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 439.
Is there public hunting land in Pottawattamie County?
Yes. 6,891 acres, 1.1% 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 county conservation board and city land (2,705 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 9 public hunting areas here.
Does Pottawattamie County have IHAP land?
Yes. 1 tract, 158 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 Cass County Mills County Shelby County Harrison County Montgomery County