Story County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land
Story County covers 574 square miles around Ames. Hunters reported 573 deer here in the 2025 season, 299 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 7% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 1.7% of Story County is public land open to the public, the largest share public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (3,353 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 landLand trusts and other open landIHAP landStory CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 367,137 acres (574 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 573 (299 antlered bucks, 35 button bucks, 229 does and doe fawns) |
| Deer zone (2026) | Zone A |
| Public land | 1.7% (6,324 acres) |
| Hunting areas | 24 (3,349 acres inside Story County) |
| IHAP land | 3 sites, 463 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Ames, Nevada, Huxley, St. Anthony, Randall and Rhodes |
How many deer are harvested in Story County?
Hunters reported 573 deer in Story County in 2025: 299 antlered bucks, 35 button bucks, 229 does and doe fawns and 10 bucks that had shed their antlers.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Doe fawns | Shed-antler bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 573 | 299 | 35 | 222 | 7 | 10 |
| 2024 | 535 | 267 | 36 | 208 | 16 | 8 |
| 2023 | 552 | 300 | 28 | 208 | 11 | 5 |
| 2022 | 531 | 291 | 35 | 191 | 12 | 2 |
| 2021 | 491 | 266 | 33 | 178 | 9 | 5 |
Source: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons), Story County. Every county's numbers add up to the DNR's statewide row for each season shown.
How much public land is in Story County?
6,324 of Story County's 367,137 acres are public land open to the public (1.7%). The biggest share is public hunting areas on the DNR atlas: 3,353 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Story County |
|---|---|---|
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 3,353 | 0.9% |
| County conservation board and city land | 2,719 | 0.7% |
| Other DNR land | 225 | 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 27 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 6,324 | 1.7% |
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 Story County
Public hunting areas in Story County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Hendrickson Marsh: 778 acres
- Colo Bogs: 692 acres
- Peterson Park - Skunk River Greenbelt: 203 acres
- Skunk River Greenbelt: 203 acres
- Jordan Family Wildlife Area: 172 acres
- Jennett Heritage Area: 171 acres
- Skunk River Flats WMA: 119 acres
- Bob Pyle Marsh: 111 acres
- Hickory Grove Park: 109 acres
- Praeri Rail Trail: 108 acres
- Bear Creek Access - Skunk River Greenbelt: 99 acres
- Roland Wildlife Area: 80 acres
- Jim Ketelsen Greenwing Marsh: 68 acres
- Crooked Bend: 66 acres
- Wicks Wildlife Area: 55 acres
- Carroll Prairie: 49 acres
- McFarland Park - Skunk River Greenbelt: 49 acres
- Doolittle Prairie: 43 acres
- Skunk River Flats: 41 acres
- Cooper's Prairie Marsh: 40 acres
- E18 Greenbelt Access: 37 acres
- Askew Bridge/Cambridge Pond: 26 acres
- Soper's Mill Canoe Access - Skunk River Greenbelt: 18 acres
- Larson Marsh: 12 acres
IHAP land in Story County
The DNR's IHAP layer shows 3 tracts in Story County, 463 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 Story County?
Highways through it: I-35 (about 49 miles inside), US 30 (about 45 miles inside), US 69 (about 27 miles inside), US 65 (about 24 miles inside) and IA 210 (about 21 miles inside). Towns inside: Ames, Nevada, Huxley, Story City, Slater and Cambridge. Nearby: St. Anthony (2 miles), Randall (2 miles), Rhodes (2 miles) and Alleman (3 miles).
Which counties border Story County?
Story County touches 6 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | IHAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County | 966 | 2025 | 12.3% | |
| Boone County | 1,162 | 2025 | 3.5% | 1 |
| Hardin County | 958 | 2025 | 1.2% | |
| Jasper County | 934 | 2025 | 3.1% | |
| Hamilton County | 395 | 2025 | 1.3% | 1 |
| Marshall County | 608 | 2025 | 0.9% | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Story County in 2025?
Hunters reported 573 deer: 299 antlered bucks, 35 button bucks and 229 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 535.
Is there public hunting land in Story County?
Yes. 6,324 acres, 1.7% 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 (3,353 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 24 public hunting areas here.
Does Story County have IHAP land?
Yes. 3 tracts, 463 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 Polk County Boone County Hardin County Jasper County Hamilton County Marshall County