Iowa deer research / Polk County
Polk County, Iowa Deer Hunting Research
Provisional FDR Deer Herd Index 40 Provisional, ranked #87 of 99 ranked Iowa counties. Built from Iowa DNR county deer harvest (bucks/does/button) plus public-land access.
C - Above AverageWhat drives the Polk County index
Provisional components, each scored 0–100 against the ranked Iowa counties. Provisional.
The crash-rate input counts animal-involved crashes: the state publishes no deer-only crash code, so it works as a deer-density proxy and not as a deer-only count.
Trophy Index
91↓ out of 100. How this county ranks for trophy bucks against every county we cover. 100 is the top. Ranked per acre of bow-huntable land (10 m estimate).
2006–2024 harvest trend
| Season | Total harvest |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 997 |
| 2023 | 996 |
| 2022 | 1,037 |
| 2021 | 945 |
| 2020 | 1,062 |
| 2019 | 992 |
| 2018 | 1,132 |
| 2017 | 1,085 |
| 2016 | 1,052 |
| 2015 | 1,117 |
| 2014 | 1,151 |
| 2013 | 1,091 |
| 2012 | 1,290 |
| 2011 | 1,408 |
| 2010 | 1,314 |
| 2009 | 1,398 |
| 2008 | 1,494 |
| 2007 | 1,361 |
| 2006 | 1,277 |
Harvest totals from Iowa DNR county deer harvest (bucks/does/button). Iowa DNR reports totals by county and season; archery / firearm splits are not broken out in this dataset.
Iowa DNR reports deer harvest from 2006 on. Before that it estimated harvest from mail-card surveys, and the two are not directly comparable, so this page shows 2006 onward only.
Harvest composition
Iowa DNR reports each deer as an Antlered Buck, Doe, or Button Buck (a male fawn). In 2024, the Polk County harvest was 327 antlered bucks, 555 does, and 101 button bucks.
| Season | Antlered buck | Doe | Button buck | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 327 | 555 | 101 | 997 |
| 2023 | 345 | 548 | 93 | 996 |
| 2022 | 344 | 597 | 86 | 1,037 |
| 2021 | 326 | 520 | 90 | 945 |
| 2020 | 337 | 613 | 99 | 1,062 |
| 2019 | 317 | 563 | 107 | 992 |
| 2018 | 360 | 639 | 127 | 1,132 |
| 2017 | 364 | 607 | 107 | 1,085 |
| 2016 | 339 | 558 | 144 | 1,052 |
| 2015 | 385 | 628 | 102 | 1,117 |
| 2014 | 355 | 670 | 120 | 1,151 |
| 2013 | 338 | 635 | 113 | 1,091 |
| 2012 | 349 | 754 | 175 | 1,290 |
| 2011 | 377 | 865 | 156 | 1,408 |
| 2010 | 368 | 790 | 140 | 1,314 |
| 2009 | 376 | 801 | 200 | 1,398 |
| 2008 | 460 | 843 | 170 | 1,494 |
| 2007 | 429 | 758 | 158 | 1,361 |
Bars and percentages are each group's share of the buck, doe and button-buck counts combined. Table shows the most recent 18 of 19 seasons (2006–2024).
In seasons where the groups do not add up to the Total column, the remainder is not assigned to any group in this dataset.
Herd & land detail
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Latest season (2024) | 997 deer |
| Harvest per sq mi | 1.74 |
| Buck : doe ratio | 0.59 |
| County land (sq mi) | 572.70 |
| Public-land acres | 28,736 |
Methodology
Provisional index. Provisional index: herd, harvest, trophy (the Trophy Index), and roadway (exposure-normalized animal-vehicle crash rate) components; habitat/age-structure partial where the state does not publish them.. FULLY DRAWN RESEARCH · Iowa DNR PROVISIONAL COUNTY DEER INDEX
Informational only. Built from public-record Iowa DNR county harvest data, US Census TIGER county land area, the Trophy Index, and exposure-normalized animal-vehicle crash rates where published. Provisional index; some components partial or pending. Not a prediction or guarantee. Verify with the Iowa DNR.
See Polk County on the map
Parcels with owner & acreage, public hunting land, leaf-off imagery, and this research, together on one hunting map.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
Is Polk County, Iowa good for deer hunting?
Polk County scores 40 of 100 on the provisional FDR Deer Herd Index (C - Above Average), ranked #87 of 99 ranked Iowa counties. The provisional index is built from Iowa DNR public harvest records, the Trophy Index and animal-vehicle crash data; some components are partial, as noted in the methodology.
How many deer were harvested in Polk County last season?
Iowa DNR records show 997 deer harvested in Polk County, Iowa in 2024, the most recent reported season.