Ringgold County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land
Ringgold County covers 539 square miles around Mount Ayr. Hunters reported 1,353 deer here in the 2025 season, 589 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 2% from 2024, and the fewest in the 5 years shown. 2.5% of Ringgold County is public land open to the public, the largest share public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (8,332 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting area boundaries.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: the DNR's harvest reporting results, 2021 to 2025. Land: PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's Hunting Atlas layer.
Public hunting areas on the DNR atlasOther DNR landCounty conservation board and city landIHAP landRinggold CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 344,966 acres (539 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 1,353 (589 antlered bucks, 94 button bucks, 665 does and doe fawns) |
| Deer zone (2026) | Zone A |
| Public land | 2.5% (8,661 acres) |
| Hunting areas | 7 (8,331 acres inside Ringgold County) |
| IHAP land | 5 sites, 555 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Mount Ayr, Redding, Diagonal, Shannon City, Blockton and Clearfield |
How many deer are harvested in Ringgold County?
Hunters reported 1,353 deer in Ringgold County in 2025: 589 antlered bucks, 94 button bucks, 665 does and doe fawns and 5 bucks that had shed their antlers.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Doe fawns | Shed-antler bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,353 | 589 | 94 | 622 | 43 | 5 |
| 2024 | 1,378 | 568 | 120 | 642 | 36 | 12 |
| 2023 | 1,522 | 600 | 121 | 744 | 43 | 14 |
| 2022 | 1,648 | 685 | 118 | 784 | 45 | 16 |
| 2021 | 1,576 | 700 | 112 | 714 | 40 | 10 |
Source: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons), Ringgold County. Every county's numbers add up to the DNR's statewide row for each season shown.
How much public land is in Ringgold County?
8,661 of Ringgold County's 344,966 acres are public land open to the public (2.5%). The biggest share is public hunting areas on the DNR atlas: 8,332 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Ringgold County |
|---|---|---|
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 8,332 | 2.4% |
| County conservation board and city land | 301 | 0.1% |
| Other DNR land | 28 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 8,661 | 2.5% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the county line from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and the DNR's public hunting area boundaries. Hunting rules differ by manager: DNR wildlife management areas and state forests are open to hunting unless posted as a refuge; Corps of Engineers lake land is open in many places under each project's own rules; national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas follow U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rules; county conservation boards set the rules on their own land; state parks are closed to most hunting.
Public hunting areas in Ringgold County
Public hunting areas in Ringgold County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Ringgold Wildlife Area: 2,711 acres
- Kellerton Bird Conservation Area: 2,035 acres
- Mount Ayr Wildlife Area: 1,531 acres
- Sand Creek Wildlife Area: 1,078 acres
- Fogle Lake: 359 acres
- Boone Woods: 313 acres
- Don & Connie Huff Wildlife Area: 304 acres
IHAP land in Ringgold County
The DNR's IHAP layer shows 5 tracts in Ringgold County, 555 acres of private land leased for walk-in hunting. Nearly every tract is walk-in only, September 1 to May 31, by the DNR's notes. DNR: IHAP.
How do you get to Ringgold County?
Highways through it: US 169 (about 30 miles inside), IA 2 (about 26 miles inside), IA 25 (about 9 miles inside) and IA 66 (about 7 miles inside). Towns inside: Mount Ayr, Redding, Diagonal, Benton, Beaconsfield and Tingley. Nearby: Shannon City (on the line), Blockton (on the line), Clearfield (on the line) and Grand River (3 miles).
Which counties border Ringgold County?
Ringgold County touches 5 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | IHAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County | 518 | 2025 | 0.8% | 2 |
| Union County | 1,051 | 2025 | 2.6% | 5 |
| Clarke County | 1,531 | 2025 | 1.4% | 4 |
| Taylor County | 1,329 | 2025 | 0.5% | 1 |
| Decatur County | 1,508 | 2025 | 2.5% | 2 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Ringgold County in 2025?
Hunters reported 1,353 deer: 589 antlered bucks, 94 button bucks and 665 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 1,378.
Is there public hunting land in Ringgold County?
Yes. 8,661 acres, 2.5% of the county, are public land open to the public by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting area boundaries, the largest share public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (8,332 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 7 public hunting areas here.
Does Ringgold County have IHAP land?
Yes. 5 tracts, 555 acres, on the DNR's IHAP layer.
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Where these numbers come from
- Deer harvest: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons).
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and the DNR's public hunting area boundaries. public hunting areas: Iowa DNR public hunting areas (Hunting Atlas layer). IHAP land: Iowa DNR Iowa Habitat and Access Program (IHAP) tracts.
- Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 cartographic county boundaries. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Numbers are copied from the DNR and the federal sources above, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
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