Purchase your hunting licenses, report your harvest, sign up for a hunter education class, check real time quotas, real time harvests, nonresident deer and turkey tags, and more.
Whether you're a seasoned hunter or a beginner, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors in Iowa. Iowa's hunting seasons can be found below for those looking to plan their hunting trips and activities.
List items for Calendar - Iowa Hunting Seasons, Deer
Licenses are available from the sales date through the end of the season, or until quota fills. A current hunting license and habitat fee is also required. See p. 40 of the Iowa Hunting, Trapping, & Migratory Game Bird Regulations for resident deer license options. Shooting hours for all deer seasons are half-hour before sunrise to half-hour after sunset.
NONRESIDENTS: The nonresident deer application period is the first Saturday in May through the first Sunday in June. The application is available in December.
2025-2026 Deer Hunting Seasons
- Youth, Sept. 20-Oct. 5
- Archery, Oct. 1-Dec. 5
- Archery, Dec. 22-Jan. 10, 2026
- Early Muzzleloader, Oct. 11-19
- Shotgun Season 1, Dec. 6-10
- Shotgun Season 2, Dec. 13-21
- Late Muzzleloader, Dec. 22-Jan. 10, 2026
- Nonresident Holiday, Dec. 24-Jan. 2, 2026
- January Antlerless, Jan. 11-25, 2026
We work hard to keep our calendars current, but always refer to the for official, legal season dates.
GoOutdoorsIowa - Licenses, Hunter Education, Tags, Real Time Quotas & more
Population management zones are used to reduce or maintain deer numbers. Each zone has its own license quota, season dates, license restrictions and proficiency requirements. Most licenses are Antlerless-only. Licenses for these hunts will not count in determining the number of licenses an individual may have, or against the county quota for Antlerless-only Licenses.
Visit our Deer Management Hunts page for information regarding applying for a deer management hunt, licenses for zones, and deer management zone maps.
List items for Calendar - Iowa Hunting Seasons, Migratory Game Bird
| Season | North Zone | Central Zone | South Zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Youth Waterfowl | Sep. 20 - 21 | Sep. 27 - 28 | Oct. 4 - 5 |
| Ducks, Mergansers & Coots | Sep. 27 - Oct. 3 | Oct. 4 - Oct. 10 | Oct. 11 - Oct. 17 |
| Oct. 11 - Dec. 2 | Oct. 18 - Dec. 9 | Oct. 25 -Dec. 16 | |
| Dark Geese & Light Geese | Sep. 20 - Oct. 5 | Sep. 27 - Oct. 12 | Oct. 4 - Oct. 19 |
| Oct. 11 - Dec. 2 | Oct. 18 - Dec. 9 | Oct. 25 - Dec. 16 | |
| Dec. 13 - Jan. 10 | Dec. 20 - Jan. 17 | Dec. 27 - Jan. 24 |
| Statewide Seasons | Dates |
|---|---|
| Special September Teal | Sep. 6 - 14 |
| Doves | Sep. 1 - Nov. 29 |
| Snipe | Sep. 6 - Nov. 30 |
| Rail | Sep. 6 - Nov. 14 |
| Woodcock | Oct. 4 - Nov. 17 |
- Metropolitan Canada Goose Hunting Season* (in specified areas): Sep. 13 - 21
- Light Goose Conservation Order*: Jan. 25 - May 1, 2026
*Additional regulations apply.
We work hard to keep our calendars current, but always refer to the Iowa Hunting, Trapping, & Migratory Game Bird Regulations for official, legal season dates.
List items for Calendar - Iowa Hunting Seasons, Small Game
| Small Game & Upland Seasons | Season Dates |
|---|---|
| Rooster Pheasant (Youth) | Oct 18 - 19, 2025 |
| Rooster Pheasant | Oct 25 - Jan 10, 2026 |
| Bobwhite Quail | Oct 25 - Jan 31, 2026 |
| Gray Partridge | Oct 11 - Jan 31, 2026 |
| Ruffed Grouse | Oct 4 - Jan 31, 2026 |
| Rabbit (Cottontail) | Aug 30 - Feb 28, 2026 |
| Rabbit (Jack) | CLOSED |
| Squirrel (Fox and Gray) | Aug 30 - Jan 31, 2026 |
| Groundhog | Continuous Open Season |
| Crow | Oct 15 - Nov 30, 2025 and Jan 14 - March 31, 2026 |
| Pigeon | Continuous Open Season |
| Coyote | Continuous Open Season |
We work hard to keep our calendars current, but always refer to the Iowa Hunting, Trapping, & Migratory Game Bird Regulations for official, legal season dates.
List items for Calendar - Iowa Hunting Seasons, Trapping
| Trapping Season | Dates |
|---|---|
| General Trapping | Nov. 1-Feb. 28, 2026 |
| Beaver | Nov. 1-April 15, 2026 |
We work hard to keep our calendars current, but always refer to the Iowa Hunting, Trapping, & Migratory Game Bird Regulations for official, legal season dates.
List items for Calendar - Iowa Hunting Seasons, Turkey
| Turkey Seasons | Dates |
|---|---|
| Fall, Gun-Bow | Oct. 13-Dec. 5 |
| Fall, Archery | Oct. 1-Dec. 5 & Dec 22-Jan 10, 2026 |
| Spring Youth | April 10-12, 2026 |
| Spring Gun-Bow Season 1 | April 13-16, 2026 |
| Spring Gun-Bow Season 2 | April 17-21, 2026 |
| Spring Gun-Bow Season 3 | April 22-28, 2026 |
| Spring Gun-Bow Season 4 | April 29-May 17, 2026 |
| Spring Archery Only | Apr. 13-May 17, 2026 |
We work hard to keep our calendars current, but always refer to the Iowa Hunting, Trapping, & Migratory Game Bird Regulations for official, legal season dates.