Shelby County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land
Shelby County covers 591 square miles around Harlan, in the DNR's new Zone B. Hunters reported 142 deer here in the 2025 season, 101 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 8% from 2024, and the fewest in the 5 years shown. 0.5% of Shelby County is public land open to the public, the largest share public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (983 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 atlasState parks and recreation areasCounty conservation board and city landIHAP landShelby CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 378,496 acres (591 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 142 (101 antlered bucks, 6 button bucks, 31 does and doe fawns) |
| Deer zone (2026) | Zone B: general licenses antlered-buck only, no party hunting |
| Public land | 0.5% (1,919 acres) |
| Hunting areas | 9 (984 acres inside Shelby County) |
| IHAP land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Harlan, Elk Horn, Tennant, Shelby, Kimballton and Walnut |
How many deer are harvested in Shelby County?
Hunters reported 142 deer in Shelby County in 2025: 101 antlered bucks, 6 button bucks, 31 does and doe fawns and 4 bucks that had shed their antlers.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Doe fawns | Shed-antler bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 142 | 101 | 6 | 31 | 0 | 4 |
| 2024 | 154 | 110 | 2 | 36 | 2 | 4 |
| 2023 | 246 | 157 | 21 | 63 | 1 | 4 |
| 2022 | 301 | 200 | 17 | 79 | 1 | 4 |
| 2021 | 313 | 209 | 23 | 74 | 5 | 2 |
Source: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons), Shelby County. Every county's numbers add up to the DNR's statewide row for each season shown.
How much public land is in Shelby County?
1,919 of Shelby County's 378,496 acres are public land open to the public (0.5%). The biggest share is public hunting areas on the DNR atlas: 983 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Shelby County |
|---|---|---|
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 983 | 0.3% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 653 | 0.2% |
| County conservation board and city land | 282 | 0.1% |
| Other DNR land | 1 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 1,919 | 0.5% |
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 Shelby County
Public hunting areas in Shelby County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- V and W Petersen Wildlife Area: 453 acres
- Rosenow Timber: 116 acres
- Oak Ridge Wildlife Area: 91 acres
- Nishna Bend Recreation Area: 79 acres
- Prairie Rose State Recreation Area: 74 acres
- Elk Horn Creek Recreation Area: 61 acres
- Upper'nish' Habitat Area: 54 acres
- Six Bee Tree Nature Area: 40 acres
- Oaks Habitat Area: 16 acres
How do you get to Shelby County?
Highways through it: US 59 (about 27 miles inside), IA 44 (about 25 miles inside), IA 191 (about 15 miles inside), IA 37 (about 14 miles inside) and IA 173 (about 7 miles inside). Towns inside: Harlan, Elk Horn, Tennant, Earling, Irwin and Defiance. Nearby: Shelby (on the line), Kimballton (on the line), Walnut (on the line) and Avoca (2 miles).
Which counties border Shelby County?
Shelby County touches 6 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | IHAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cass County | 298 | 2025 | 0.5% | 3 |
| Audubon County | 204 | 2025 | 0.2% | 6 |
| Carroll County | 199 | 2025 | 0.9% | |
| Crawford County | 245 | 2025 | 0.4% | 2 |
| Harrison County | 532 | 2025 | 3.9% | 15 |
| Pottawattamie County | 530 | 2025 | 1.1% | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Shelby County in 2025?
Hunters reported 142 deer: 101 antlered bucks, 6 button bucks and 31 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 154.
Is there public hunting land in Shelby County?
Yes. 1,919 acres, 0.5% 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 (983 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 9 public hunting areas here.
Does Shelby County have IHAP land?
Not 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.
Iowa hunting Cass County Audubon County Carroll County Crawford County Harrison County Pottawattamie County