Iowa

Iowa boasts a stellar reputation for its great whitetail deer hunting, with numerous record book entries accumulated over the years. The state's genetics are top-notch, contributing to exceptional trophy potential, thanks to the combination of excellent habitat, agricultural practices, and mild winters. In addition to whitetail deer, Iowa offers fantastic hunting opportunities for wild turkey, various small game species, and great fishing. Resident deer tags are conveniently available over-the-counter, while nonresidents must navigate a preference point system to obtain their deer license. Although Iowa is primarily composed of private lands, diligent hunters who conduct thorough research can still uncover excellent public hunting prospects.

License Costs

* Price is included in your total application, not refundable

Important Dates

Draw Result Dates

Draw System

Iowa uses preference points for the nonresident deer and spring turkey drawings. With a preference point system, the tags are allocated to the applicants with the most preference points. Hunters can opt to apply solely for points during the application, but each unsuccessful draw also earns a point.

Points are applied to first-choice applications and successfully drawing a tag will remove the accrued points from your account.

What is the nonresident permit allocation in Iowa?

Iowa does not require residents to draw for tags so nonresidents do receive their own application pool and are only competing amongst themselves. Each year, the state allocates around 6,000 nonresident deer tags that are drawn among all of the available season types. No more than 35% of each zone quota can be for the bow season.

How do group applications work in Iowa?

Hunters may apply individually or as a group of up to 15 applicants for deer and turkey permits. The group's point total will default to the lowest point value present in the group. For example, if a group of two applies and Applicant A has 1 point while Applicant B has 4 points, the group enters the draw with 1 point.

What credit cards are accepted for Iowa Licenses?

Application fees may be charged to either MasterCard or Visa

Getting a Tag

Nonresidents must draw all buck deer licenses while antlerless tags are available over the counter. Nonresidents may not participate in the fall turkey hunt but can apply for spring licenses.

Youth hunting opportunities in Iowa

Iowa offers several youth hunting opportunities depending on the species you are interested in.

Deer - Resident youth of Iowa are afforded a special youth-only deer season which takes place during the second half of September. This season runs concurrently with the Disabled Hunter season. Nonresident youths can purchase a hunting license at a reduced rate but their deer licenses will still cost the same as an adult.

Turkey - As with deer, Iowa also offers youth who are residents of the state a special youth-only spring turkey season that takes place ahead of all of the other spring seasons.

Can I return a hunting permit in Iowa?

Drawn deer tags are not transferable, refundable, and cannot be exchanged for another.

Hunting Rules

What is the minimum age to hunt in Iowa?

There is no minimum age requirement to hunt in Iowa but youths under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult hunter over the age of 18.

What are the hunter's education requirements in Iowa?

Iowa law requires that anyone born after January 1, 1972, must be certified in hunter education before they are eligible to purchase an Iowa hunting license.

What are the bowhunter's education requirements in Iowa?

Iowa does offer bowhunters education classes but these are not a requirement to hold bow licenses in the state

Is hunters orange required in Iowa?

While hunting deer with a firearm you must wear one of the following articles of external, visible, solid blaze orange clothing: vest, jacket, coat, sweatshirt, sweater, shirt or coveralls. An orange hat alone is not sufficient. No person shall use a blind for hunting deer during the regular shotgun deer seasons unless such blind exhibits a solid blaze orange marking with a minimum of 144 square inches visible in all directions.

What weapons are legal to hunt with in Iowa?

Before hunting in Iowa hunters should be aware of what weapons are legal for the seasons they may be hunting. Some of these do vary by species so being well aware of these will be important.

Archery - Longbows, recurve bows, and compound bows shooting broadhead arrows are permitted. No explosive or chemical devices may be attached to the arrow or broadhead. Blunthead arrows with a minimum diameter of 9/16 inches may also be used for hunting turkeys. There are no minimum draw weights for bows or minimum diameters for broadheads. Arrows must be at least 18 inches long. Crossbows are not legal during the archery season except for a physically handicapped person.

Muzzleloader - Only muzzleloading rifles, muzzleloading muskets, muzzleloading pistols, and muzzleloading revolvers between .44 and .775 of an inch shooting a single projectile. Muzzleloaders equipped with electronic ignition are not allowed. Inline and disk-type muzzleloaders are allowed. Riflescopes may also be used.

Shotgun - 10-, 12-, 16-, and 20-gauge shotguns shooting single slugs only for deer.

For turkey, .410, and 28-gauge shotguns shooting shot sizes no smaller than 10 shots. 20-, 16-, 12- and 10-gauge or muzzleloading shotguns shooting shot size 10 through 4, lead or nontoxic.

Handgun - Any pistol or revolver with a barrel length of at least four inches and firing straight wall or other centerfire ammunition propelling an expanding-type bullet with a maximum diameter of no less than .350 of an inch and no larger than .500 of an inch and with a published or calculated muzzle energy of 500-foot pounds or higher is legal for hunting deer

Rifle - Rifles firing straight wall or other centerfire ammunition propelling an expanding-type bullet with a maximum diameter of no less than .350 of an inch and no larger than .500 of an inch and with a published or calculated muzzle energy of 500-foot pounds or higher is legal for hunting deer during the youth and disabled hunting season and first and second shotgun seasons.