Barringer Slough Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Barringer Slough Wildlife Area is 1,282 acres of public hunting land in Clay County, next to Ruthven, managed by the DNR's wildlife bureau. Hunters reported 461 deer in Clay 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 atlasNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasOther DNR landCounty conservation board and city landIHAP landBarringer Slough Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,282 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Clay County |
| Deer harvest unit | Clay County |
| DNR lists for hunting | Deer, Pheasant, Waterfowl, Rabbit and Dove |
| Managed by | the DNR's wildlife bureau |
| Habitat (DNR) | Marsh, Prairie |
| Nontoxic shot | Required (DNR) |
| DNR contact | Prairie Lakes Wildlife Unit |
| Nearest towns | Ruthven (next to it), Dickens (3 mi) and Ayrshire (8 mi) |
What is Barringer Slough Wildlife Area like?
The DNR describes the habitat as marsh, prairie.
From the DNR's Hunting Atlas layer.
What can you hunt on Barringer Slough Wildlife Area?
The DNR's atlas lists deer, pheasant, waterfowl, rabbit and dove for Barringer Slough Wildlife Area.
What are the rules on Barringer Slough Wildlife Area?
The DNR's layer marks this area as nontoxic shot only.
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 Barringer Slough Wildlife Area?
Barringer Slough Wildlife Area lies in Clay County. Hunters reported 461 deer in Clay County in 2025, against 427 in 2024.
| County | Barringer Slough Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | 1,282 | 461 | 427 | 462 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the hunting area alone: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Barringer Slough Wildlife Area?
The DNR's directions: W of Ruthven on Hwy 18, N on 320th Ave.
Nearest towns: Ruthven (next to it), Dickens (3 miles), Ayrshire (8 miles) and Gillett Grove (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 18 and IA 314. 2 IHAP tracts within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Barringer Slough Wildlife Area?
Public hunting areas within 10 miles:
- Barringer Slough - CCB: 106 acres, next to it
- Barringer Slough WPA: 336 acres, next to it
- Dewey's Pasture Complex: 5,025 acres, next to it
- Du Marsh: 229 acres, 0.5 miles away
- Du Marsh WPA: 49 acres, 0.6 miles away
- Dewey's Pasture Complex WPA: 516 acres, 0.6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Barringer Slough Wildlife Area
Counting Barringer Slough Wildlife Area itself, 8,292 of the 33,270 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (24.9%), 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 | 8,174 |
| County conservation board and city land | 64 |
| Other DNR land | 34 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 20 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Barringer Slough Wildlife Area?
In Clay County, next to Ruthven.
What can you hunt on Barringer Slough Wildlife Area?
The DNR's atlas lists deer, pheasant, waterfowl, rabbit and dove. Nontoxic shot is required.
How much public land is around Barringer Slough Wildlife Area?
8,292 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Barringer Slough Wildlife Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting area boundaries. The closest other public hunting area is Barringer Slough - CCB (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.