Cedar Bottoms Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Cedar Bottoms Wildlife Area is 1,644 acres of public hunting land in Muscatine County, 4 miles from Nichols, managed by the DNR's wildlife bureau. Hunters reported 1,393 deer in Muscatine 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 atlasLand trusts and other open landCedar Bottoms Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,644 acres in 3 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Muscatine County |
| Deer harvest unit | Muscatine County |
| DNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Pheasant, Waterfowl and Dove |
| Managed by | the DNR's wildlife bureau |
| Habitat (DNR) | 1/4 Timber, 3/4 Grassland, Scattered Wetlands |
| DNR contact | Odessa Wildlife Unit |
| Nearest towns | Nichols (4 mi), Atalissa (5 mi) and West Liberty (5 mi) |
What is Cedar Bottoms Wildlife Area like?
The DNR describes the habitat as 1/4 timber, 3/4 grassland, scattered wetlands.
From the DNR's Hunting Atlas layer.
What can you hunt on Cedar Bottoms Wildlife Area?
The DNR's atlas lists deer, turkey, pheasant, waterfowl and dove for Cedar Bottoms Wildlife Area.
What are the rules on Cedar Bottoms 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 Cedar Bottoms Wildlife Area?
Cedar Bottoms Wildlife Area lies in Muscatine County. Hunters reported 1,393 deer in Muscatine County in 2025, against 1,379 in 2024.
| County | Cedar Bottoms Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muscatine County | 1,644 | 1,393 | 1,379 | 1,313 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the hunting area alone: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Cedar Bottoms Wildlife Area?
The DNR's directions: 6 miles W of Muscatine on Hwy 22.
Nearest towns: Nichols (4 miles), Atalissa (5 miles), West Liberty (5 miles) and Kent Estates (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IA 22, IA 70 and US 6.
What other public land is near Cedar Bottoms Wildlife Area?
Public hunting areas within 10 miles:
- Pike Run Wildlife Area: 175 acres, next to it
- Saulsbury Bridge Recreation Area: 718 acres, next to it
- Red Cedar Wildlife Area: 786 acres, 2.1 miles away
- Shield Prairie WMA: 85 acres, 2.3 miles away
- Wiese Slough Wildlife Area: 1,871 acres, 2.9 miles away
- Richardson Wildlife Area: 82 acres, 8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Cedar Bottoms Wildlife Area
Counting Cedar Bottoms Wildlife Area itself, 3,185 of the 39,346 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (8.1%), 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 | 3,143 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 39 |
| Other DNR land | 2 |
| County conservation board and city land | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Cedar Bottoms Wildlife Area?
In Muscatine County, 4 miles from Nichols.
What can you hunt on Cedar Bottoms Wildlife Area?
The DNR's atlas lists deer, turkey, pheasant, waterfowl and dove.
How much public land is around Cedar Bottoms Wildlife Area?
3,185 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Cedar Bottoms Wildlife Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting area boundaries. The closest other public hunting area is Pike Run 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.