2015 Deer Hunting Seasons (if no changes are made)
Season Season Dates
Youth Season Sept. 19 – Oct. 4
Disabled Hunter Season Sept. 19 – Oct. 4
Archery Season Oct. 1 – Dec. 4 & Dec. 21 – Jan. 10, 2016
Early Muzzleloader Oct. 17 – 25
Regular Gun Season 1 Dec. 5 – 9
Regular Gun Season 2 Dec. 12 – 20
Late Muzzleloader Dec. 21 – Jan. 10, 2016
Nonresident Holiday Season Dec. 24 – Jan. 2, 2016
BAG LIMIT: Daily Bag and Season Possession Limit is one deer for each valid license and transportation tag issued to the hunter.
SHOOTING HOURS: 1/2 hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset
2015-2016 Migratory Birds seasons (if no changes are made)
Waterfowl Season North Zone South Zone Missouri River
Ducks, Mergansers and Coots Oct. 3 – 18 Oct 3 – Oct 7 Oct. 3 – Oct. 7
Oct. 24 – Dec. 6 Oct 17 – Dec 10 Oct. 24 – Dec. 17
Youth Waterfowl Hunting Days Sept. 26 – 27 Oct 10 – 12 Oct 17 – 18
Canada geese and Brant Sept. 26 – Oct. 3 – Oct. 10 –
Jan. 1, 2016 Jan. 8, 2016 Jan. 15, 2016
White-fronted geese Sept. 26 – Dec. 8 Oct. 3 – Dec. 15 Oct. 10 – Dec. 22
Light Geese (white and blue Sept. 26 – Oct. 3 – Oct. 10 –
phase snow geese and Jan. 10, 2016 Jan. 15, 2016 Jan. 15, 2016
Ross’ geese)
SPECIAL SEPTEMBER CANADA GOOSE SEASONS Only in designated zones around Des Moines, Cedar Rapids/Iowa City and Cedar Falls/Waterloo.
Canada Geese Sept. 5 – 13
STATEWIDE
Special September Teal Season Sept 5 -20
Light Geese Conservation Order Jan. 16 – April 15, 2016
(white and blue phase snow geese
and Ross’ geese)
Doves (Mourning and Eurasian Collared) Sept. 1 – Nov. 9
Woodcock Oct. 3 – Nov. 16
Snipe Sept. 5 – Nov. 30
Rail (Sora and Virginia) Sept. 5 – Nov. 13
| Shooting Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset for all species except woodcock and teal during the special September teal season, which are sunrise to sunset.Daily Bag Limits: Ducks: Daily limit is 6, including no more than 4 mallards (of which no more than 2 may be female), 3 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 3 scaup, 2 pintail, 1 black duck, and 2 canvasback. Mergansers: Daily limit is 5, including no more than 2 hooded mergansers. Coots: Daily limit is 15. Geese: The daily limit for Canada geese is 2 from September 26 through October 31 and 3 Canada geese from November 1 through the end of the season. During the special September Canada goose season within the Des Moines, Cedar Rapids/Iowa City and Cedar Falls/Waterloo Zones, the daily is 5 Canada geese. The daily limits for white-fronted geese, brant, and snow geese are 2 white-fronted geese, 1 brant, and 20 snow geese. Doves (Mourning and Eurasian Collared): Daily limit is 15. Woodcock: Daily limit is 3. Snipe: Daily limit is 8. Rail (Sora and Virginia): Daily limit is 12. Possession Limits: |
2015 Fall Turkey Hunting (if no changes are made)
License Types Season Dates
Gun/Bow Oct. 12 – Dec. 4
Archery Only Oct. 1 – Dec. 4 AND
Dec. 21 – Jan. 10, 2016
BAG LIMIT: Daily Bag and Season Possession Limit is one wild turkey for each valid license and transportation tag issued to the hunter.
SHOOTING HOURS:
Gun: 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset
Bow: 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset
2016 SPRING TURKEY HUNTING SEASON DATES (if no changes are made)
Combination Gun/Bow Licenses
Youth Season (Residents Only) April 9 – 17
Season 1 April 18 – 21
Season 2 April 22 – 26
Season 3 April 27 – May 3
Season 4 May 4 – May 22
Resident Archery-only Licenses: April 18- May 22
BAG LIMIT: Daily Bag and Season Possession Limit is one bearded or male wild turkey for each valid license and transportation tag issued to the hunter.
SHOOTING HOURS: 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset
2015 – 2016 General Hunting Season Framework (if no changes are made)
Species
Daily/Possess
Rooster Pheasant (Youth) Oct. 24 – 25 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 1 2
Rooster Pheasant Oct. 31 – Jan. 10, 2016 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 3 12
Bobwhite Quail Oct. 31 – Jan. 31, 2016 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 8 16
Gray Partridge Oct. 10 – Jan. 31, 2016 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 8 16
Ruffed Grouse Oct. 3 – Jan. 31, 2016 Sunrise to Sunset 3 6
Rabbit (Cottontail) Sept 5 – Feb. 28, 2016 Sunrise to Sunset 10 20
Squirrel (Fox and Gray) Sept 5 – Jan. 31, 2016 No Restrictions 6 12
Groundhog
Crow
Groundhog, Pigeon Continuous Open Season No Restrictions No Limit No Limit
Coyote (hunting) Continuous Open Season No Restrictions No Limit No Limit
what is the date you can buy a non resident small game license in 2015 and still be good for next years season. Used to buy license in dec. and it was good for next season.
Why would you take away our January antler less bonus (high power) season and put in a out of staters season in there? Makes no since what so ever when they can come and hunt all the other seasons as well. Makes no since to me that if the deer count is down why you would take and let them have a season. So the deer population can’t be that bad. Every night I drive home from leaving my stand I don’t know how many deer I count that I about hit or have hit and nicked with my car. If I can drive a 20 mile radius and count over 100 head it ant be that low. I feel that we should have our high power season back!!!!
You are right! They can come in during December for shotgun season like I do. ( I do live in iowa but they can hunt in their own freakin state.) on the bus ride to school I at least see 20-30 deer out and about. Our population in story county is quite a bit so it does not make sense that they get to hunt here and we dont
But i will agree in some counties the numbers are not harvested however that is not the DNR fault. I knew of alot of people that hunted deer and turkeys last year and never reported there kill. No names involved but that is how they base the tag amounts. Im not trying to poke at anybody because all have there opinion. On a different note i hunted in floyd county last year almost to bremer and i passed 27 does opening morning of first season waiting for a nice buck, and in floyd county we had no antlerless tags last year. Where as clayton county had 2100 or so. Who in gods name is gonna sell 2100 tags lol
Deer population varies by county. I live in Floyd county and if your along the rivers the numbers are there, compared to if you get over by the mississippi the numbers over there triple ours around here. It is a delicate balance. I personally believe we need to have a fall bag limit on turkeys( my personal opinion as a farmer/ avid outdoorsman)
CIA,
You must not be a resident in Iowa. The deer population here is crazy. There is not enough of them taken each year.
Nathan,
You must not be a resident if you were you would see that the deer population has been decreased drastically. 2012 drought along with the CWD combined with liberal quota and bonus seasons really put the hurt on the deer.
Good Luck!
Common, bring back the January Doe season. Why on earth would u take that away. Do you realize how difficult it is to plan hunting trips in the small December windows that EVERYONE else is hunting