Banner Flats Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Banner Flats Wildlife Area is 1,200 acres of public hunting land in Warren County, 3 miles from Carlisle, managed by the DNR's wildlife bureau. Hunters reported 2,385 deer in Warren 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 atlasState parks and recreation areasCounty conservation board and city landIHAP landBanner Flats Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,200 acres in 4 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Warren County |
| Deer harvest unit | Warren County |
| DNR lists for hunting | Deer, Squirrel and Rabbit |
| Managed by | the DNR's wildlife bureau |
| Habitat (DNR) | Timber, Strip PIts |
| DNR contact | Red Rock Wildlife Unit |
| Nearest towns | Carlisle (3 mi), Hartford (4 mi) and Indianola (5 mi) |
What is Banner Flats Wildlife Area like?
The DNR describes the habitat as timber, strip pits.
From the DNR's Hunting Atlas layer.
What can you hunt on Banner Flats Wildlife Area?
The DNR's atlas lists deer, squirrel and rabbit for Banner Flats Wildlife Area.
What are the rules on Banner Flats 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 Banner Flats Wildlife Area?
Banner Flats Wildlife Area lies in Warren County. Hunters reported 2,385 deer in Warren County in 2025, against 2,240 in 2024.
| County | Banner Flats Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warren County | 1,200 | 2,385 | 2,240 | 2,493 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the hunting area alone: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Banner Flats Wildlife Area?
The DNR's directions: 4.5 miles N of Indianola on Hwy 65/69, 0.75 mile E on Elkhorn St.
Nearest towns: Carlisle (3 miles), Hartford (4 miles), Indianola (5 miles) and Spring Hill (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 65, IA 5 and US 69. 2 IHAP tracts within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Banner Flats Wildlife Area?
Public hunting areas within 10 miles:
- Red Rock - USACOE: 34,439 acres, 2.1 miles away
- North River Wildlife Area: 379 acres, 3.4 miles away
- Bulrush Marsh: 147 acres, 3.8 miles away
- Red Rock - Warren: 1,914 acres, 5 miles away
- Bank Swallow Bend: 570 acres, 7.1 miles away
- Woodland Mounds State Preserve: 336 acres, 7.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Banner Flats Wildlife Area
Counting Banner Flats Wildlife Area itself, 1,772 of the 36,375 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 | 1,431 |
| State parks and recreation areas | 218 |
| County conservation board and city land | 121 |
| Other DNR land | 2 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Banner Flats Wildlife Area?
In Warren County, 3 miles from Carlisle.
What can you hunt on Banner Flats Wildlife Area?
The DNR's atlas lists deer, squirrel and rabbit.
How much public land is around Banner Flats Wildlife Area?
1,772 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Banner Flats Wildlife Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting area boundaries. The closest other public hunting area is Red Rock - USACOE (2.1 miles).
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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.