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Winneshiek County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land

Winneshiek County covers 690 square miles around Decorah. Hunters reported 2,519 deer here in the 2025 season, 853 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 1% from 2024. 2.3% of Winneshiek County is public land open to the public, the largest share public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (8,762 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.

Map of Iowa's Winneshiek County: public land by manager, IHAP land, the counties around it, highways US 52, IA 9 and IA 24; towns: Decorah, Jackson Junction, Calmar, Protivin and St. Lucas

Public hunting areas on the DNR atlasNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasOther DNR landCounty conservation board and city landIHAP landWinneshiek CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway

Winneshiek County at a glance
Size441,678 acres (690 square miles)
Deer reported, 20252,519 (853 antlered bucks, 200 button bucks, 1,413 does and doe fawns)
Deer zone (2026)Zone A
Public land2.3% (10,201 acres)
Hunting areas33 (8,763 acres inside Winneshiek County)
IHAP land5 sites, 836 acres
Towns in and near itDecorah, Jackson Junction, Calmar, Protivin, St. Lucas and Cresco

How many deer are harvested in Winneshiek County?

Hunters reported 2,519 deer in Winneshiek County in 2025: 853 antlered bucks, 200 button bucks, 1,413 does and doe fawns and 53 bucks that had shed their antlers.

SeasonDeer reportedAntlered bucksButton bucksDoesDoe fawnsShed-antler bucks
20252,5198532001,3229153
20242,5508962071,3228837
20232,4698152021,3407636
20222,5018142141,3359939
20212,4539431541,2518322

Source: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons), Winneshiek County. Every county's numbers add up to the DNR's statewide row for each season shown.

How much public land is in Winneshiek County?

10,201 of Winneshiek County's 441,678 acres are public land open to the public (2.3%). The biggest share is public hunting areas on the DNR atlas: 8,762 acres.

ManagerAcresShare of Winneshiek County
Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas8,7622%
County conservation board and city land1,2150.3%
National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas161under 0.1%
Other DNR land59under 0.1%
State parks and recreation areas4under 0.1%
All public land open to the public10,2012.3%

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 Winneshiek County

Public hunting areas in Winneshiek County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:

IHAP land in Winneshiek County

The DNR's IHAP layer shows 5 tracts in Winneshiek County, 836 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 Winneshiek County?

Highways through it: US 52 (about 41 miles inside), IA 9 (about 29 miles inside), IA 24 (about 14 miles inside), IA 139 (about 11 miles inside) and IA 150 (about 8 miles inside). Towns inside: Decorah, Jackson Junction, Calmar, Ossian, Ridgeway and Castalia. Nearby: Protivin (on the line), St. Lucas (on the line), Cresco (2 miles) and Waucoma (2 miles).

Which counties border Winneshiek County?

Winneshiek County touches 5 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:

CountyDeer harvestedYearPublic landIHAP land sites
Howard County83220251%1
Clayton County4,24820254.6%4
Fayette County2,12820251.8%5
Allamakee County3,498202510.8%1
Chickasaw County1,19720251.1%1

Questions hunters ask

How many deer were harvested in Winneshiek County in 2025?

Hunters reported 2,519 deer: 853 antlered bucks, 200 button bucks and 1,413 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 2,550.

Is there public hunting land in Winneshiek County?

Yes. 10,201 acres, 2.3% 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 (8,762 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 33 public hunting areas here.

Does Winneshiek County have IHAP land?

Yes. 5 tracts, 836 acres, on the DNR's IHAP layer.

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Where these numbers come from

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 Howard County Clayton County Fayette County Allamakee County Chickasaw County