Hunting Season is always a special time of the year. Whether you are planning on waiting patiently in a deer stand to bag that trophy buck or sitting knee deep in the marsh hoping to bag a band. Being able to take advantage of all the hunting seasons is why The Waterfowl Hunter has put together the hunting dates for Iowa.
These dates serve as a general guide for more specific hunting visit Iowa Department of Natural Resources.Â
Deer
| Hunt Type | Earliest Opening Date | Latest Closing Date |
|---|---|---|
| Youth | Sep. 16,2017 | Oct. 1,2017 |
| Disabled Hunter | Sep. 16,2017 | Oct. 1,2017 |
| Bow | Oct. 1,2017 | Dec. 1,2017 |
| Dec. 18,2017 | Jan. 10,2018 | |
| Early Muzzleloader | Oct. 14,2017 | Oct. 22,2017 |
| Late Muzzleloader | Dec. 18,2017 | Jan. 10,2018 |
| Shotgun 1 | Dec. 2,2017 | Dec. 6,2017 |
| Shotgun 2 | Dec. 9,2017 | Dec. 17,2017 |
| Nonresident Holiday Antlerless-Only | Dec. 24,2017 | Jan. 2,2018 |
2017 Spring Turkey Seasons
| Hunt Type | Earliest Opening Date | Latest Closing Date |
|---|---|---|
| Youth (Gun/Bow) | April 8,2017 | April 16,2017 |
| Season 1 (Gun/Bow) | April 17,2017 | April 20,2017 |
| Season 2 (Gun/Bow) | April 21,2017 | April 25,2017 |
| Season 3 (Gun/Bow) | April 26,2017 | May 2,2017 |
| Season 4 (Gun/Bow) | May 3,2017 | May 21,2017 |
| Resident Archery | April 17,2017 | May 21,2017 |
2017 Fall Turkey Seasons
| Hunt Type | Earliest Opening Date | Latest Closing Date |
|---|---|---|
| Gun/Bow | Oct. 16,2017 | Dec. 1,2017 |
| Archery Only | Oct. 1,2017 | Dec. 1,2017 |
| Dec. 18,2017 | Jan. 10,2018 |
Furbearer Hunting Seasons
| Hunt Type | Earliest Opening Date | Latest Closing Date |
|---|---|---|
| Raccoon | Nov. 4,2017 | Jan. 31,2018 |
| Opossum | Nov. 4,2017 | Jan. 31,2018 |
| Badger | Nov. 4,2017 | Jan. 31,2018 |
| Striped Skunk | Nov. 4,2017 | Jan. 31,2018 |
| Fox (Red & Gray) | Nov. 4,2017 | Jan. 31,2018 |
| Bobcat | Nov. 4,2017 | Jan. 31,2018 |
Trapping Seasons
| Species | Earliest Opening Date | Latest Closing Date |
|---|---|---|
| Raccoon | Nov. 4,2017 | Jan. 31,2018 |
| Muskrat | Nov. 4,2017 | Jan. 31,2018 |
| Fox (Red & Gray) | Nov. 4,2017 | Jan. 31,2018 |
| Coyote | Nov. 4,2017 | Jan. 31,2018 |
| Badger | Nov. 4,2017 | Jan. 31,2018 |
| Mink | Nov. 4,2017 | Jan. 31,2018 |
| Weasal | Nov. 4,2017 | Jan. 31,2018 |
| Opossum | Nov. 4,2017 | Jan. 31,2018 |
| Striped Skunk | Nov. 4,2017 | Jan. 31,2018 |
| Beaver | Nov. 4,2017 | April 15,2018 |
| Otter | Nov. 4,2017 | Jan. 31,2018 |
| Bobcat | Nov. 4,2017 | Jan. 31,2018 |
Small Game
| Hunt Type | Earliest Opening Date | Latest Closing Date |
|---|---|---|
| Pheasant (Youth) | Oct. 21,2017 | Oct. 22,2017 |
| Pheasant | Oct. 28,2017 | Jan. 10,2018 |
| Bobwhite Quail | Oct. 28,2017 | Jan. 31,2018 |
| Gray Partridge | Oct. 14,2017 | Jan. 31,2018 |
| Ruffed Grouse | Oct. 7,2017 | Jan. 31,2018 |
| Rabbit (Cottontail) | Sep. 2,2017 | Feb. 28,2018 |
| Squirrel (Fox & Gray) | Sep. 2,2017 | Jan. 31,2018 |
| Groundhog | Continuous Open | |
| Crow | Oct. 15,2017 | Nov. 30,2017 |
| Jan. 14,2018 | March 31,2018 | |
| Pigeon | Continuous Open | |
| Coyote | Continuous Open | |
Migratory Seasons
| Zone | Hunt Type | Earliest Opening Date | Latest Closing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Zone | September Teal | Sep. 2,2017 | Sep. 10,2017 |
| Ducks, Coots & Mergansers | Sep. 23,2017 | Oct. 1,2017 | |
| Oct. 14,2017 | Dec. 3,2017 | ||
| Youth Waterfowl | Sep. 16,2017 | Sep. 17,2017 | |
| Dark Geese | Sep. 23,2017 | Oct. 8,2017 | |
| Oct. 14,2017 | Jan. 1,2018 | ||
| Light Geese | Sep. 23,2017 | Jan. 10,2018 | |
| Oct. 14,2017 | Jan. 10,2018 | ||
| South Zone | September Teal | Sep. 2,2017 | Sep. 10,2017 |
| Ducks, Coots & Mergansers | Sep. 30,2017 | Oct. 4,2017 | |
| Oct. 21,2017 | Dec. 14,2017 | ||
| Youth Waterfowl | Sep. 23,2017 | Sep. 24,2017 | |
| Dark Geese | Sep. 30,2017 | Oct. 8,2017 | |
| Oct. 21,2017 | Jan. 15,2018 | ||
| Light Geese | Sep. 30,2017 | Oct. 8,2018 | |
| Oct. 21,2017 | Jan. 24,2018 | ||
| Missouri River | September Teal | Sep. 2,2017 | Sep. 17,2017 |
| Ducks, Coots & Mergansers | Oct. 7,2017 | Oct. 8,2017 | |
| Oct. 21,2017 | Dec. 17,2017 | ||
| Youth Waterfowl | Sep. 30,2017 | Oct. 1,2017 | |
| Dark Geese | Oct. 7,2017 | Oct. 15,2017 | |
| Oct. 21,2017 | Jan. 15,2018 | ||
| Light Geese | Oct. 7,2017 | Oct. 15,2017 | |
| Oct. 21,2017 | Jan. 15,2018 | ||
| Statewide Seasons | Doves | Sep. 1,2017 | Nov. 29,2017 |
| Snipe | Sep. 2,2017 | Nov. 30,2017 | |
| Rails | Sep. 2,2017 | Nov. 10,2017 | |
| Woodcock | Oct. 7,2017 | Nov. 20,2017 |