Places to Hunt & Shoot

Iowa has many opportunities for public hunting and shooting. The Habitat & Access Program (IHAP) is public hunting access granted by Iowa landowners, while the Hunting Atlas is an interactive map showing public hunting.

Shooting ranges, both public and private, can also be found throughout the state, along with DNR managed Wildlife Management Areas.

Finally, one can download the listing of Iowa Private Shooting Preserves.

Through the Habitat & Access Program (IHAP), Iowa landowners open their land to public hunting and in turn receive funding and expertise for habitat improvements. IHAP has enrolled more than 30,000 acres across 57 counties that are now open for walk-in public hunting from September 1 - May 31 each year.

Several shooting ranges across the state offer hunters a place to practice shooting safely and conveniently, including Banner Shooting Range in Lincoln, Iowa, and the Butch Olofson Shooting Range in Polk City, Iowa.

The DNR's Wildlife Bureau manages over 410,000 acres that are available for public recreational use every day of the year within its Wildlife Management Areas. All of these areas are managed with revenues from the sale of hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses that are purchased by resident and non-residents.

the hunting atlas is an interactive map that shows all lands open to public hunting in the state, totaling 763,810 acres. the hunting atlas also gives basic information about those areas such as: acres, general habitat description, expected species and links to more information. it will also tell a user what hunting zones any area of the state falls into. check it out to help you plan your next hunt!

available: hunting atlas boundaries for google earth [*.kmz] - updated 9/26/2024