Van Buren Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Van Buren Wildlife Area is 438 acres of public hunting land in Van Buren County, next to Douds, managed by the DNR's wildlife bureau. Hunters reported 2,181 deer in Van Buren 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 landVan Buren Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 438 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Van Buren County |
| Deer harvest unit | Van Buren County |
| DNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey and Squirrel |
| Managed by | the DNR's wildlife bureau |
| Habitat (DNR) | Timber |
| DNR contact | Sugema Wildlife Unit |
| Nearest towns | Douds (next to it), Leando (next to it) and Birmingham (5 mi) |
What is Van Buren Wildlife Area like?
The DNR describes the habitat as timber.
From the DNR's Hunting Atlas layer.
What can you hunt on Van Buren Wildlife Area?
The DNR's atlas lists deer, turkey and squirrel for Van Buren Wildlife Area.
What are the rules on Van Buren 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 Van Buren Wildlife Area?
Van Buren Wildlife Area lies in Van Buren County. Hunters reported 2,181 deer in Van Buren County in 2025, against 2,365 in 2024.
| County | Van Buren Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren County | 438 | 2,181 | 2,365 | 2,427 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the hunting area alone: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Van Buren Wildlife Area?
The DNR's directions: 1 mile N of Douds on Hwy 98, 1.5 miles E on Hwy 16, 1 mile S on gravel road.
Nearest towns: Douds (next to it), Leando (next to it), Birmingham (5 miles) and Keosauqua (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IA 16 and IA 1.
What other public land is near Van Buren Wildlife Area?
Public hunting areas within 10 miles:
- Selma Wildlife Area: 135 acres, 4.2 miles away
- Chequest Wildlife Area: 120 acres, 5.1 miles away
- Turkey Run Wildlife Area - Jefferson: 397 acres, 7.5 miles away
- Lake Sugema Wildlife Area: 2,396 acres, 7.6 miles away
- Shimek State Forest - Keosauqua Unit: 1,042 acres, 7.6 miles away
- Lake Sugema - CCB: 1,468 acres, 8.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Van Buren Wildlife Area
Counting Van Buren Wildlife Area itself, 453 of the 25,860 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (1.8%), 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 | 448 |
| County conservation board and city land | 5 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Van Buren Wildlife Area?
In Van Buren County, next to Douds.
What can you hunt on Van Buren Wildlife Area?
The DNR's atlas lists deer, turkey and squirrel.
How much public land is around Van Buren Wildlife Area?
453 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Van Buren Wildlife Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting area boundaries. The closest other public hunting area is Selma Wildlife Area (4.2 miles).
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.