Woodbury County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land
Woodbury County covers 878 square miles around Sioux City, in the DNR's new Zone B. Hunters reported 406 deer here in the 2025 season, 250 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 3% from 2024, and the fewest in the 5 years shown. 2.8% of Woodbury County is public land open to the public, the largest share public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (10,341 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 atlasFederal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakesOther DNR landState parks and recreation areasCounty conservation board and city landIHAP landWoodbury CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 561,747 acres (878 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 406 (250 antlered bucks, 24 button bucks, 129 does and doe fawns) |
| Deer zone (2026) | Zone B: general licenses antlered-buck only, no party hunting |
| Public land | 2.8% (15,463 acres) |
| Hunting areas | 22 (10,341 acres inside Woodbury County) |
| IHAP land | 6 sites, 875 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Sioux City, Sergeant Bluff, Salix, Rodney, Washta and Kingsley |
How many deer are harvested in Woodbury County?
Hunters reported 406 deer in Woodbury County in 2025: 250 antlered bucks, 24 button bucks, 129 does and doe fawns and 3 bucks that had shed their antlers.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Doe fawns | Shed-antler bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 406 | 250 | 24 | 122 | 7 | 3 |
| 2024 | 418 | 265 | 17 | 126 | 7 | 3 |
| 2023 | 519 | 304 | 38 | 160 | 10 | 7 |
| 2022 | 654 | 342 | 38 | 251 | 15 | 8 |
| 2021 | 672 | 349 | 74 | 234 | 11 | 4 |
Source: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons), Woodbury County. Every county's numbers add up to the DNR's statewide row for each season shown.
How much public land is in Woodbury County?
15,463 of Woodbury County's 561,747 acres are public land open to the public (2.8%). The biggest share is public hunting areas on the DNR atlas: 10,341 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Woodbury County |
|---|---|---|
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 10,341 | 1.8% |
| County conservation board and city land | 2,873 | 0.5% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 1,432 | 0.3% |
| Other DNR land | 816 | 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 1 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 15,463 | 2.8% |
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 Woodbury County
Public hunting areas in Woodbury County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Oak Ridge Conservation Area: 2,092 acres
- Owego Wetland Complex: 1,298 acres
- Snyder Bend WMA: 1,206 acres
- Brown's Lake Wildlife Area: 1,157 acres
- Luton Wildlife Area: 1,111 acres
- Table Marsh Wildlife Area: 722 acres
- Southwood Conservation Area: 587 acres
- Shagbark Hills: 381 acres
- Little Sioux Park: 267 acres
- Mile Long Island Wildlife Area: 242 acres
- Curtin Timber: 209 acres
- Grant Center Wildlife Area: 198 acres
- Lakeport Wildlife Area: 180 acres
- Ips Property: 175 acres
- Dakota Bend Wildlife Area: 112 acres
- Briese Wildlife Area: 109 acres
- Flemming Wildlife Area: 87 acres
- Winnebago Bend - USACOE: 85 acres
- Sioux Bend Wildlife Area: 65 acres
- Winnebago Bend Wildlife Area: 28 acres
- Weedland Access: 15 acres
- Walling River Access: 15 acres
IHAP land in Woodbury County
The DNR's IHAP layer shows 6 tracts in Woodbury County, 875 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 Woodbury County?
Highways through it: US 20 (about 56 miles inside), I-29 (about 51 miles inside), IA 31 (about 25 miles inside), US 75 (about 22 miles inside) and IA 141 (about 18 miles inside). Towns inside: Sioux City, Sergeant Bluff, Salix, Moville, Lawton and Anthon. Nearby: Rodney (on the line), Washta (on the line), Kingsley (2 miles) and Mapleton (3 miles).
Which counties border Woodbury County?
Woodbury County touches 5 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | IHAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ida County | 70 | 2025 | 0.2% | |
| Monona County | 452 | 2025 | 4% | 8 |
| Cherokee County | 247 | 2025 | 0.4% | 5 |
| Crawford County | 245 | 2025 | 0.4% | 2 |
| Plymouth County | 294 | 2025 | 1% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Woodbury County in 2025?
Hunters reported 406 deer: 250 antlered bucks, 24 button bucks and 129 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 418.
Is there public hunting land in Woodbury County?
Yes. 15,463 acres, 2.8% 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 (10,341 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 22 public hunting areas here.
Does Woodbury County have IHAP land?
Yes. 6 tracts, 875 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 Ida County Monona County Cherokee County Crawford County Plymouth County