Warren County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land
Warren County covers 573 square miles around Norwalk. Hunters reported 2,385 deer here in the 2025 season, 973 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 6% from 2024. 4% of Warren County is public land open to the public, the largest share public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (12,444 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 landState parks and recreation areasCounty conservation board and city landLand trusts and other open landIHAP landWarren CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 366,685 acres (573 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 2,385 (973 antlered bucks, 203 button bucks, 1,182 does and doe fawns) |
| Deer zone (2026) | Zone A |
| Public land | 4% (14,754 acres) |
| Hunting areas | 14 (12,450 acres inside Warren County) |
| IHAP land | 2 sites, 342 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Norwalk, Indianola, Cumming, Carlisle, St. Charles and Swan |
How many deer are harvested in Warren County?
Hunters reported 2,385 deer in Warren County in 2025: 973 antlered bucks, 203 button bucks, 1,182 does and doe fawns and 27 bucks that had shed their antlers.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Doe fawns | Shed-antler bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,385 | 973 | 203 | 1,133 | 49 | 27 |
| 2024 | 2,240 | 857 | 230 | 1,088 | 47 | 18 |
| 2023 | 2,493 | 1,038 | 215 | 1,136 | 84 | 20 |
| 2022 | 2,405 | 1,022 | 203 | 1,124 | 39 | 17 |
| 2021 | 2,192 | 956 | 170 | 1,008 | 47 | 11 |
Source: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons), Warren County. Every county's numbers add up to the DNR's statewide row for each season shown.
How much public land is in Warren County?
14,754 of Warren County's 366,685 acres are public land open to the public (4%). The biggest share is public hunting areas on the DNR atlas: 12,444 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Warren County |
|---|---|---|
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 12,444 | 3.4% |
| County conservation board and city land | 1,088 | 0.3% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 1,006 | 0.3% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 131 | under 0.1% |
| Other DNR land | 85 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 14,754 | 4% |
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 Warren County
Public hunting areas in Warren County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Red Rock - USACOE: 6,062 acres
- Red Rock - Warren: 1,914 acres
- Banner Flats Wildlife Area: 1,200 acres
- Heritage Hills Wildlife Area: 710 acres
- Bank Swallow Bend: 570 acres
- Hooper Wildlife Area: 483 acres
- North River Wildlife Area: 379 acres
- Rolling Thunder Prairie: 366 acres
- Woodland Mounds State Preserve: 336 acres
- Bulrush Marsh: 147 acres
- Blue Flag Marsh: 133 acres
- Otter Creek: 78 acres
- Jensen Marsh: 57 acres
- Wilson Woods: 15 acres
IHAP land in Warren County
The DNR's IHAP layer shows 2 tracts in Warren County, 342 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 Warren County?
Highways through it: I-35 (about 49 miles inside), US 65 (about 38 miles inside), US 69 (about 36 miles inside), IA 5 (about 34 miles inside) and IA 92 (about 26 miles inside). Towns inside: Norwalk, Indianola, Cumming, Hartford, Milo and Ackworth. Nearby: Carlisle (on the line), St. Charles (on the line), Swan (on the line) and Runnells (on the line).
Which counties border Warren County?
Warren 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% | |
| Lucas County | 1,660 | 2025 | 6.9% | 2 |
| Clarke County | 1,531 | 2025 | 1.4% | 4 |
| Dallas County | 1,172 | 2025 | 2.3% | |
| Marion County | 1,652 | 2025 | 12% | |
| Madison County | 2,470 | 2025 | 1.4% | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Warren County in 2025?
Hunters reported 2,385 deer: 973 antlered bucks, 203 button bucks and 1,182 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 2,240.
Is there public hunting land in Warren County?
Yes. 14,754 acres, 4% 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 (12,444 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 14 public hunting areas here.
Does Warren County have IHAP land?
Yes. 2 tracts, 342 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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