Iowa is getting ready for a thrilling 2024 season that has outdoor lovers buzzing. Packed with diverse wildlife and scenery, it’s the go-to for eco-conscious entertainment. Activities aplenty are on the horizon, catering to anyone seeking a one-of-a-kind outing or helping with Iowa’s conservation mission.
2024 changes have revised the bag limits and more ways to handle local species, so it’s paramount to update oneself. For instance, tags vary based on residence and zones, and need prior acquiring. Non-locals need to figure out the lottery for specific permits, while locals get a simpler method.
More than excitement, Iowa’s yearly days are vital for ecological equilibrium. This custom aids wildlife control, avoiding problems like crop harm and other ecological worries.
Iowa Deer Hunting Schedule 2024-25
Youth
- Dates: Sept. 21 – Oct. 6, 2024
Disabled Hunter
- Dates: Sept. 21 – Oct. 6, 2024
Archery
- Dates: Oct. 1 – Dec. 6, 2024, and Dec. 23, 2024 – Jan. 10, 2025
Muzzleloader
- Early: Oct. 12 – Oct. 20, 2024
- Late: Dec. 23, 2024 – Jan. 10, 2025
Shotgun
- First: Dec. 7 – Dec. 11, 2024
- Second: Dec. 14 – Dec. 22, 2024
Nonresident Holiday
- Dates: Dec. 24, 2024 – Jan. 2, 2025
Population Management (January Antlerless)
- Dates: Jan. 11 – Jan. 19, 2025
Excess Tag (January Antlerless)
- Dates: Jan. 11 – Jan. 19, 2025
Shooting Hours:
- ½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset.
Harvest Reporting:
- Deer and turkey harvest must be reported at iowadnr.gov or by calling the number on the harvest tag.
IA Deer Hunting Regulations
Tagging Requirements
- Head & Antlers: They should stay with the body until it’s eaten or processed.
- Youth, Disabled, Bow, Early, and Late Muzzleloader: Youth, disabled, or bow, early, and late muzzleloader, have to get their own deer.
- Shotgun Rules: In shotgun seasons (1 & 2), you can bag for others, but the tagged deer is for the one who holds the tag.
- No Post-Theft Tags: If someone else takes a deer, there’s no way to tag it.
- License Use: Using someone else’s deer license or tag isn’t allowed.
Paid Deer Licenses
- General Deer Permits: You may use these across the state in their proper schedule. Each person has the chance to get a General License for the Bow Season, Early and Late Muzzleloader, as well as Shotgun 1, and 2.
- Exceptions: Youth and people with disabilities have distinct rules.
- Early Muzzleloader Permits: These are offered to the first 7,500 applicants.
- Antlerless Licenses: Licenses for Antlerless, can be acquired through purchase. You need to select the county, season, or zone they wish to use their license in. Each county can only issue up to 100County
- Quotas: Antlerless-only licenses throughout all period.
Bag and Possession Limits
- Season 1 & 2 of Shotgun: Just one kill is allowed per transport tag.
- Remaining Seasons: For all other period, only one animal can be collected per license and transport tag.
Party Hunting & Assisting
- Group Hunting: Permitted in Shotgun schedule 1 & 2. Hunters can help each other, but this doesn’t mean getting game from private land without an okay.
- County Tags: You need tags for the area where you’re hunting.
Blood Tracking with Dogs
- Blood Tracking: Tracking Injured Deer: If you’ve got a license, you can use a dog to find and help retrieve those that are hurt. The dog must be on a leash that’s no longer than 50 feet, though.
- Private Land: Tracking hurt animal with dogs is okay on private land, as long as you’ve got permission from the person who owns the land.
- Unarmed Handlers: Unarmed people can go out with hunters, if they stick by the licensed person that first injured the deer.
Blaze Orange Requirement
- Clothing: In any gun hunting period, it’s mandatory to don a blaze orange vest, jacket, or coveralls. Just a hat of this color doesn’t meet the requirement.
- Blinds: If you’re pursuing with a shotgun, your blind needs to have 144 square inches of clear orange that’s visible from every angle.
Tree Stands
- Public Land: You can’t put up permanent tree stands on public lands owned by the state for hunting. Yet, temporary stands are fine. But, they have to be taken down at most 7 days after hunting season ends.
- Metal Prohibitions: In state pursuing areas, you can’t use stuff like nails, spikes, or other metal things on trees.
Prohibited Devices and Actions
- Illegal Devices: Pursuing with pets, bait, communicators, unmanned aircraft, or machines is not permitted
- Baiting: Attracting them with items like grain, fruits, vegetables, and minerals is not permitted.
- Non-Ambulatory Hunters: Those who can’t walk, either from paralysis or amputation, are allowed to use motorized vehicles to hunt. However, they can’t shoot from a moving vehicle.
Firearm and Equipment Regulations
- Shotguns: Only single-slug shotguns of 10, 12, 16, and 20 gauges are allowed.
- Muzzleloaders: You can use rifles, muskets, pistols, and revolvers that shoot one bullet between .44 and .775 inches wide. In-line and disc-type muzzleloaders and rifle scopes are okay.
- Crossbows: These are mostly for disabled hunters with the right permits or locals during the Late Muzzleloader period. Crossbows must have a safety and trigger you can pull.
Youth and Disabled
- Youth: Person younger than 16 years can hunt with an adult watching them. Unused youth permits can be used later in the season but not for hunting with a group.
- Licenses for the Disabled: Iowans with severe disabilities can get a General Deer License. It lets them hunt during the Youth Season in a way that suits their disability.
Blaze Orange Requirements
- Mandatory: All people with a gun must wear bright orange clothes during the gun game periods. This means a vest, jacket, or full-body suit. A hat alone doesn’t meet this rule.
Tree Stands & Hunting Blinds
- Public Land Restrictions: Permanent tree stands are not allowed on public grounds. You can put up a temporary stand up to seven days before deer season starts and take it down within seven days after it ends.
- No Metal in Trees: You can’t use nails, spikes, or other pieces of metal to fix stands to trees on public property.
IA Deer Licenses
| Licenses/Permits | Resident Fees | Non-Resident Fees |
|---|---|---|
| Any-Sex Tag | $33.00 | N/A |
| 1st Antlerless Tag | $28.50 | N/A |
| Additional Antlerless Tag | $15.00 | N/A |
| Landowner / Tenant Any-Sex | $2.00 | N/A |
| Landowner / Tenant Doe Tag | $2.00 | N/A |
| Landowner / Tenant Additional Doe Tags (2 max) | $15.00 each | N/A |
| Buck Tag (Pending Lottery Results) | N/A | $348.50 |
| Mandatory Antlerless | N/A | $149.50 |
| Antlerless by County | N/A | $266.50 |
| Holiday Tag | N/A | $91.00 |
| Landowner Tag | N/A | $266.50 |
| Preference Point | N/A | $60.50 |
Top Iowa Deer Locations
Southeastern Iowa
Southeast Iowa, beloved for dense woodlands and hilly terrain. Counties like Appanoose, Monroe, Van Buren, and Marion are haven for deer and offer exciting challenges. Look for mature forests, farmland, plus water sources to find deer all year round.
Eastern Iowa
Eastern Iowa also offers fantastic deer encounters. Just head to Allamakee, Clayton, Delaware, Dubuque, Jackson, Jones, Linn, or Winneshiek. Here, you’ll find diverse habitats from hardwood forests, prairies to farmland. Also, the mighty Mississippi River with its feeder streams draws deer into the region.
Northwestern Iowa
Northwestern Iowa may have fewer deer, but that doesn’t dampen the game fun. Give counties like Cherokee, Clay, Ida, and Plymouth a try, if solitude and fewer crowds sound appealing. Here, you’ll find plenty of public land like wildlife parks and state parks for your adventure.
Central Iowa
Conversely, Central Iowa, home to counties like Dallas, Polk, and Story, blends agricultural land, forested areas, and city outskirts. Deer numbers may be fewer here compared to rural regions, but there’s still a chance at a successful hunt, especially during rut and early bow season.
