Blackbird Bend Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Blackbird Bend Wildlife Area is 459 acres of public hunting land in Monona County, 7 miles from Whiting, managed by the DNR's wildlife bureau. Hunters reported 452 deer in Monona 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 landState parks and recreation areasIHAP landBlackbird Bend Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 459 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Monona County |
| Deer harvest unit | Monona County |
| DNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Pheasant and Waterfowl |
| Managed by | the DNR's wildlife bureau |
| Habitat (DNR) | 2/3 Bottomland Timber, 1/3 Marsh |
| DNR contact | Missouri River Wildlife Unit |
| Nearest towns | Whiting (7 mi), Onawa (9 mi) and Sloan (11 mi) |
What is Blackbird Bend Wildlife Area like?
The DNR describes the habitat as 2/3 bottomland timber, 1/3 marsh.
From the DNR's Hunting Atlas layer.
What can you hunt on Blackbird Bend Wildlife Area?
The DNR's atlas lists deer, turkey, pheasant and waterfowl for Blackbird Bend Wildlife Area.
What are the rules on Blackbird Bend 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 Blackbird Bend Wildlife Area?
Blackbird Bend Wildlife Area lies in Monona County. Hunters reported 452 deer in Monona County in 2025, against 347 in 2024.
| County | Blackbird Bend Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monona County | 459 | 452 | 347 | 560 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the hunting area alone: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Blackbird Bend Wildlife Area?
The DNR's directions: Public Access by River or through Tieville Bend & Ivy Island.
Nearest towns: Whiting (7 miles), Onawa (9 miles), Sloan (11 miles) and Blencoe (13 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-29 and IA 175.
What other public land is near Blackbird Bend Wildlife Area?
Public hunting areas within 10 miles:
- Ivy Island Wildlife Area: 313 acres, next to it
- Blackbird Bend: 232 acres, next to it
- Tieville Bend - USACOE: 1,128 acres, 0.9 miles away
- Monona Bend Wildlife Area: 390 acres, 0.9 miles away
- Tieville Bend Wildlife Area: 903 acres, 1 mile away
- Upper Decatur Bend Wildlife Area: 645 acres, 2.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Blackbird Bend Wildlife Area
Counting Blackbird Bend Wildlife Area itself, 2,930 of the 27,184 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (10.8%), 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 | 2,927 |
| Other DNR land | 3 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Blackbird Bend Wildlife Area?
In Monona County, 7 miles from Whiting.
What can you hunt on Blackbird Bend Wildlife Area?
The DNR's atlas lists deer, turkey, pheasant and waterfowl.
How much public land is around Blackbird Bend Wildlife Area?
2,930 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Blackbird Bend Wildlife Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting area boundaries. The closest other public hunting area is Ivy Island Wildlife Area (next to it).
Get a Iowa hunt plan when they open
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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.