Elk Grove Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Elk Grove Wildlife Area is 1,600 acres of public hunting land in Guthrie County, 8 miles from Coon Rapids, managed by the DNR's wildlife bureau. Hunters reported 1,613 deer in Guthrie 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 atlasCounty conservation board and city landLand trusts and other open landElk Grove Wildlife AreaCounty lineHighway
| Size | 1,600 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Guthrie County |
| Deer harvest unit | Guthrie County |
| DNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Squirrel and Rabbit |
| Managed by | the DNR's wildlife bureau |
| Habitat (DNR) | Timber |
| DNR contact | Saylorville Wildlife Unit |
| Nearest towns | Coon Rapids (8 mi), Bayard (9 mi) and Guthrie Center (10 mi) |
What is Elk Grove Wildlife Area like?
The DNR describes the habitat as timber.
From the DNR's Hunting Atlas layer.
What can you hunt on Elk Grove Wildlife Area?
The DNR's atlas lists deer, turkey, squirrel and rabbit for Elk Grove Wildlife Area.
What are the rules on Elk Grove 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 Elk Grove Wildlife Area?
Elk Grove Wildlife Area lies in Guthrie County. Hunters reported 1,613 deer in Guthrie County in 2025, against 1,775 in 2024.
| County | Elk Grove Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guthrie County | 1,600 | 1,613 | 1,775 | 2,113 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the hunting area alone: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Elk Grove Wildlife Area?
The DNR's directions: 7.5 miles S of Coon Rapids on N46, 0.5 mile E on 165th St.
Nearest towns: Coon Rapids (8 miles), Bayard (9 miles), Guthrie Center (10 miles) and Audubon (11 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IA 44.
What other public land is near Elk Grove Wildlife Area?
Public hunting areas within 10 miles:
- Sheeder Prairie State Preserve: 24 acres, 5.8 miles away
- Seeley Creek Timber: 201 acres, 6.3 miles away
- McCord Pond: 112 acres, 6.6 miles away
- Christy Pond: 25 acres, 7.3 miles away
- Nabotna Pond Park: 60 acres, 8.4 miles away
- Tigges South Wildlife Area: 73 acres, 8.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Elk Grove Wildlife Area
Counting Elk Grove Wildlife Area itself, 1,601 of the 32,653 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 | 1,600 |
| Other DNR land | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Elk Grove Wildlife Area?
In Guthrie County, 8 miles from Coon Rapids.
What can you hunt on Elk Grove Wildlife Area?
The DNR's atlas lists deer, turkey, squirrel and rabbit.
How much public land is around Elk Grove Wildlife Area?
1,601 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Elk Grove Wildlife Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting area boundaries. The closest other public hunting area is Sheeder Prairie State Preserve (5.8 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.