Aldo Leopold Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Aldo Leopold Wildlife Area is 1,428 acres of public hunting land in Bremer County, next to Readlyn, managed by the DNR's wildlife bureau. Hunters reported 1,254 deer in Bremer County in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: the DNR's public hunting area data, read 2026-10. Harvest: Iowa DNR harvest reporting, 2021 to 2025.
Public hunting areas on the DNR atlasOther DNR landCounty conservation board and city landAldo Leopold Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,428 acres in 3 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Bremer County |
| Deer harvest unit | Bremer County |
| DNR lists for hunting | Deer, Pheasant, Waterfowl and Dove |
| Managed by | the DNR's wildlife bureau |
| Habitat (DNR) | Marsh, Upland |
| DNR contact | Cedar-Wapsi Wildlife Unit |
| Nearest towns | Readlyn (next to it), Fairbank (5 mi) and Dunkerton (7 mi) |
What is Aldo Leopold Wildlife Area like?
The DNR describes the habitat as marsh, upland.
From the DNR's Hunting Atlas layer.
What can you hunt on Aldo Leopold Wildlife Area?
The DNR's atlas lists deer, pheasant, waterfowl and dove for Aldo Leopold Wildlife Area.
What are the rules on Aldo Leopold Wildlife Area?
Iowa's general hunting rules apply, and some DNR land is a posted wildlife refuge closed during set seasons; Iowa DNR wildlife management areas has area maps.
How many deer are taken around Aldo Leopold Wildlife Area?
Aldo Leopold Wildlife Area lies in Bremer County. Hunters reported 1,254 deer in Bremer County in 2025, against 1,108 in 2024.
| County | Aldo Leopold Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bremer County | 1,428 | 1,254 | 1,108 | 1,093 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the hunting area alone: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Aldo Leopold Wildlife Area?
The DNR's directions: 3 miles E of Readlyn on Hwy 3, 2.25 miles S on Timber Rd, 0.5 mile E on 252nd St.
Nearest towns: Readlyn (next to it), Fairbank (5 miles), Dunkerton (7 miles) and Denver (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IA 3, IA 281 and IA 241.
What other public land is near Aldo Leopold Wildlife Area?
Public hunting areas within 10 miles:
- Seven Bridges Wildlife Area: 208 acres, next to it
- Wapsie River Greenbelt: 1,928 acres, 0.8 miles away
- Buck Creek Wildlife Area: 50 acres, 1 mile away
- Bruce Child's Access: 75 acres, 3.1 miles away
- Bruggeman Park: 509 acres, 3.7 miles away
- McClain Rr Row: 23 acres, 4.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Aldo Leopold Wildlife Area
Counting Aldo Leopold Wildlife Area itself, 2,047 of the 41,893 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.9%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 1,978 |
| County conservation board and city land | 61 |
| Other DNR land | 8 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Aldo Leopold Wildlife Area?
In Bremer County, next to Readlyn.
What can you hunt on Aldo Leopold Wildlife Area?
The DNR's atlas lists deer, pheasant, waterfowl and dove.
How much public land is around Aldo Leopold Wildlife Area?
2,047 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Aldo Leopold Wildlife Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting area boundaries. The closest other public hunting area is Seven Bridges Wildlife Area (next to it).
Get a Iowa hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Iowa are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Iowa included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: Iowa DNR public hunting areas (Hunting Atlas layer).
- Boundary and acres: the DNR's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and the DNR's public hunting area boundaries.
- Deer harvest: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons).
FilledTag is not part of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Check the DNR's rules and posted signs before you go.