Draper Bottoms Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Draper Bottoms Wildlife Area is 517 acres of public hunting land in Fremont County, next to Hamburg, managed by the DNR's wildlife bureau. Hunters reported 379 deer in Fremont 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 landDraper Bottoms Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 517 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Fremont County |
| Deer harvest unit | Fremont County |
| DNR lists for hunting | Deer, Pheasant and Waterfowl |
| Managed by | the DNR's wildlife bureau |
| Habitat (DNR) | River Bottom |
| DNR contact | Nishnabotna Wildlife Unit |
| Nearest towns | Hamburg (next to it), Riverton (7 mi) and Sidney (8 mi) |
What is Draper Bottoms Wildlife Area like?
The DNR describes the habitat as river bottom.
From the DNR's Hunting Atlas layer.
What can you hunt on Draper Bottoms Wildlife Area?
The DNR's atlas lists deer, pheasant and waterfowl for Draper Bottoms Wildlife Area.
What are the rules on Draper 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 Draper Bottoms Wildlife Area?
Draper Bottoms Wildlife Area lies in Fremont County. Hunters reported 379 deer in Fremont County in 2025, against 432 in 2024.
| County | Draper Bottoms Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fremont County | 517 | 379 | 432 | 414 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the hunting area alone: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Draper Bottoms Wildlife Area?
The DNR's directions: W of Hamburg on 333.
Nearest towns: Hamburg (next to it), Riverton (7 miles), Sidney (8 miles) and Percival (10 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-29, US 275, IA 2 and IA 333. 1 IHAP tract within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Draper Bottoms Wildlife Area?
Public hunting areas within 10 miles:
- Eli Slusher Wildlife Area: 516 acres, 0.9 miles away
- O.s. Wing Wildlife Area: 138 acres, 1.7 miles away
- M U Payne Wildlife Area: 1,292 acres, 2 miles away
- Lower Hamburg Bend: 325 acres, 2.6 miles away
- Riverton Wildlife Area - Fremont: 4,069 acres, 4.8 miles away
- Copeland Bend - USACOE: 2,995 acres, 6.1 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Draper Bottoms Wildlife Area
Counting Draper Bottoms Wildlife Area itself, 2,653 of the 30,674 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (8.6%), 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 | 1,730 |
| State parks and recreation areas | 908 |
| Other DNR land | 15 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Draper Bottoms Wildlife Area?
In Fremont County, next to Hamburg.
What can you hunt on Draper Bottoms Wildlife Area?
The DNR's atlas lists deer, pheasant and waterfowl.
How much public land is around Draper Bottoms Wildlife Area?
2,653 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Draper 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 Eli Slusher Wildlife Area (0.9 miles).
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.