Sioux County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land
Sioux County covers 769 square miles around Sioux Center, in the DNR's new Zone B. Hunters reported 165 deer here in the 2025 season, 114 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 4% from 2024. 0.6% of Sioux County is public land open to the public, the largest share public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (2,466 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 atlasCounty conservation board and city landIHAP landSioux CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 492,056 acres (769 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 165 (114 antlered bucks, 12 button bucks, 39 does and doe fawns) |
| Deer zone (2026) | Zone B: general licenses antlered-buck only, no party hunting |
| Public land | 0.6% (3,172 acres) |
| Hunting areas | 18 (2,466 acres inside Sioux County) |
| IHAP land | 1 site, 148 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Sioux Center, Orange City, Rock Valley, Sheldon, Craig and Struble |
How many deer are harvested in Sioux County?
Hunters reported 165 deer in Sioux County in 2025: 114 antlered bucks, 12 button bucks, 39 does and doe fawns.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Doe fawns | Shed-antler bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 165 | 114 | 12 | 35 | 4 | 0 |
| 2024 | 158 | 102 | 11 | 41 | 2 | 2 |
| 2023 | 234 | 133 | 18 | 79 | 4 | 0 |
| 2022 | 282 | 170 | 19 | 84 | 8 | 1 |
| 2021 | 264 | 152 | 20 | 86 | 6 | 0 |
Source: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons), Sioux County. Every county's numbers add up to the DNR's statewide row for each season shown.
How much public land is in Sioux County?
3,172 of Sioux County's 492,056 acres are public land open to the public (0.6%). The biggest share is public hunting areas on the DNR atlas: 2,466 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Sioux County |
|---|---|---|
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 2,466 | 0.5% |
| County conservation board and city land | 704 | 0.1% |
| Other DNR land | 2 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 3,172 | 0.6% |
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 Sioux County
Public hunting areas in Sioux County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Fairview Wildlife Complex: 458 acres
- Big Sioux River Complex: 419 acres
- Rock River Access - Amba Tract: 309 acres
- Big Sioux Recreation Area: 273 acres
- Rock River Access: 272 acres
- Rock Wildlife Area: 214 acres
- Fairview Area: 102 acres
- Floyd River Wildlife - Complex B: 82 acres
- Floyd River Wildlife - Complex a: 70 acres
- Otter Creek Public Hunting Area: 60 acres
- Bruce Schomaker Recreational Area: 48 acres
- Garfield Wildlife Area: 40 acres
- Rock Sioux Access: 29 acres
- Floyd River Wildlife - Complex C: 26 acres
- Moller Wildlife Area: 25 acres
- Stoll Wildlife Area: 17 acres
- Vande Weerd Public Hunting & Fishing Area: 17 acres
- Nassau Wildlife Area: 5 acres
IHAP land in Sioux County
The DNR's IHAP layer shows 1 tract in Sioux County, 148 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 Sioux County?
Highways through it: IA 60 (about 45 miles inside), IA 10 (about 36 miles inside), US 18 (about 34 miles inside), US 75 (about 23 miles inside) and IA 12 (about 6 miles inside). Towns inside: Sioux Center, Orange City, Rock Valley, Hawarden, Alton and Hull. Nearby: Sheldon (on the line), Craig (on the line), Struble (on the line) and Doon (2 miles).
Which counties border Sioux County?
Sioux County touches 5 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | IHAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyon County | 226 | 2025 | 0.8% | 1 |
| O'Brien County | 163 | 2025 | 0.9% | |
| Osceola County | 121 | 2025 | 1.2% | 1 |
| Cherokee County | 247 | 2025 | 0.4% | 5 |
| Plymouth County | 294 | 2025 | 1% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Sioux County in 2025?
Hunters reported 165 deer: 114 antlered bucks, 12 button bucks and 39 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 158.
Is there public hunting land in Sioux County?
Yes. 3,172 acres, 0.6% 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 (2,466 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 18 public hunting areas here.
Does Sioux County have IHAP land?
Yes. 1 tract, 148 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.
Iowa hunting Lyon County O'Brien County Osceola County Cherokee County Plymouth County