Working Paper 107 · Herd & HarvestIowa · 99 counties · Provisional FDR Index · October 2026 snapshot
Iowa Deer Counties Ranked: Appanoose Leads the Composite, Warren Leads the Trophy Index
FDR Research Desk · Published FDR county analysis · Agency sources and methods linked below
Appanoose edges Louisa in Iowa's provisional FDR Index, 71.8 to 71.5. Their Trophy Index scores are 89 and 71, a much wider separation in the other column. Warren leads the trophy order at 94 while placing thirty-third in the composite. Clayton led the official 2024 reported harvest. Iowa supplies a different leader for each question, and the differences extend well beyond the first row.
KEY FINDINGS
- Appanoose and Louisa are separated by 0.3 displayed points. Lee and Lucas follow in the provisional composite.
- Clayton led the official 2024 reported harvest with 4,318 deer. Allamakee followed at 3,598. Their composite ranks are tenth and fifth.
- Warren leads Iowa's Trophy Index at 94. It ranks thirty-third in the composite.
Iowa county finder
Where does your county rank?
Derived FDR scores captured October 5, 2026. Both indices use a 0 to 100 scale. Equal displayed composite scores keep the published model order. Zero is a valid score; unavailable scores are marked Not rated.
10 of 99 entries shown
| State rank | County | Provisional FDR Index | Trophy Index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Appanoose | 71.8 | 89 |
| 2 | Louisa | 71.5 | 71 |
| 3 | Lee | 65.5 | 74 |
| 4 | Lucas | 65.2 | 92 |
| 5 | Allamakee | 64.3 | 92 |
| 6 | Marion | 62.9 | 92 |
| 7 | Webster | 62.4 | 74 |
| 8 | Clay | 61.4 | 70 |
| 9 | Fremont | 60.6 | 76 |
| 10 | Clayton | 59.5 | 87 |
01County comparison
The top pair gives you a comparison, not a verdict
Appanoose and Louisa are only 0.3 displayed composite points apart. On the trophy measure, Appanoose is eleventh in Iowa at 89 while Louisa is fiftieth at 71. That split is more useful to a trophy-focused hunter than the small difference in the composite.
Lee follows at 65.5 and Lucas at 65.2 in the composite. Lucas, Allamakee and Marion are the three counties in Iowa's first ten under both rankings. Their composite positions are fourth, fifth and sixth; their trophy positions are fifth, fourth and second. Each displays a Trophy Index of 92.
02County comparison
Clayton and Allamakee lead the reported-harvest comparison
The Iowa DNR's 2024 report lists 4,318 reported deer in Clayton and 3,598 in Allamakee. These are measured registration totals. They help describe where hunters checked deer that season, without assigning the same amount of hunter effort to every county.
Allamakee remains prominent across these comparisons: second in the reported harvest count, fifth in the composite and fourth in trophy order. Clayton is first, tenth and fourteenth respectively. The county hunter who wants to compare the two can see the tradeoff directly rather than relying on either one's harvest rank alone.
03County comparison
Warren changes the order for trophy history
Warren's Trophy Index of 94 is Iowa's highest in this snapshot. Marion, Van Buren, Allamakee and Lucas each display 92, with rank ordered before rounding. Warren's thirty-third place in the composite shows how much the choice of measure can matter.
Van Buren is particularly revealing. It is third in trophy order and thirty-seventh in the composite, whereas Allamakee is fourth and fifth. Similar trophy positions can accompany very different broader model results.
04County comparison
Keep the historical comparison on the same footing
Iowa's annual report separates its older survey estimates from reported harvest beginning in 2006. A long line that crosses that change needs an explicit break in interpretation. An estimate and a registration total should not be treated as if they were collected identically.
For this snapshot, the comparison worth saving is Appanoose against Louisa, or Allamakee against Van Buren. Each pair is close on one measure and separated on the other. Search the counties you can realistically hunt and keep the October 5, 2026 capture date with the table. These are county summaries; access and the actual tract remain separate evidence.
05Basis of this report
Sources and method
The Iowa model combines herd and harvest indicators with trophy history, habitat, historical change and roadway evidence. FDR composite and Trophy Index values are derived and captured October 5, 2026. The composite is provisional; its components have different coverage. Trophy history spans 2011 through 2025 and is adjusted for modeled bow-huntable acreage, with national scaling. Scores are neither population estimates nor success percentages. The two named harvest totals come from the official 2024 county table.
Compare the other states in the FDR county report series.
NOTES AND SOURCES
- Derived FDR scores captured October 5, 2026. Both indices use a 0 to 100 scale. Equal displayed composite scores keep the published model order. Zero is a valid score; unavailable scores are marked Not rated.
Fully Drawn Research is an independent data analysis desk, not affiliated with any state wildlife agency, transportation agency, mapping provider or outfitter. FDR county scores and interpretations are independent analysis. A county ranking does not evaluate an individual property.
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