1
SEASON CHOICE
A. REGULAR GUN 1 .................................. Dec. 4-8
B. REGULAR GUN 2 .............................. Dec. 11-19
C. BOW ....................................... Oct. 1-Dec. 3 and
............................................... Dec. 20-Jan. 10, 2022
D. MUZZLELOADER ........... Dec. 20-Jan. 10, 2022
E. DISABLED HUNTER .................. Sept. 18-Oct. 3
F. HOLIDAY ANTLERLESS-ONLY .. Dec. 24-Jan.2
LICENSE FEES*
GENERAL DEER/ANTLERLESS-ONLY .....$498.00
ANTLERLESS-ONLY ................................... $266.50
HOLIDAY ANTLERLESS-ONLY ....................$91.00
HUNTING LICENSE (
18 and older) ...............$131.00
HUNTING LICENSE (age 16-18) ....................$32.00
HABITAT FEE ................................................$15.00
*Purchases subject to an application fee based on a percentage
of total license cost, provided at the time of application.
2020 2021 2021 2020
Applications General Deer Maximum # Unsuccessful
RECEIVED QUOTAS bow licenses bow applications
ZONE 1 177 90 31 27
ZONE 2 170 90 31 60
ZONE 3 689 560 196 116
ZONE 4 2184 1280 448 429
ZONE 5 2865 1600 560 618
ZONE 6 1373 800 280 310
ZONE 7 604 360 126 159
ZONE 8 306 240 84 67
ZONE 9 1096 880 308 219
ZONE 10 184 100 35 48
TOTAL 9,558 6,000 2,099 2,071
A MANDATORY Antlerless-only license
will be issued with each General deer
license. This map does not pertain to
Optional Antlerless-only quotas. (p. 3)
LICENSE QUOTAS AND ZONES
1
2
3
4
10
9
7
8
6
5
Des Moines
3
3
4
92
38
141
163
35
63
59
20
30
34
35
169
63
71
218
APPLICATION DATES
GENERAL DEER/ANTLERLESS-ONLY .................................................................................MAY 1-JUNE 6
Excess licenses if available after drawing ............................................................................................ JULY 31
OPTIONAL ANTLERLESS-ONLY .....................................................................................................JULY 31
1,2
ANTLERLESS-ONLY HOLIDAY (if quota allows) ................................................................................DEC. 15
1
1
through last day of season or until quotas ll (if applicable)
2
optional Antlerless-only licenses for shotgun 1, shotgun 2 or the disabled hunter season only
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
NONRESIDENT IOWA DEER
For News and Updates, Drawing Statistics, Disabled Hunter Adavit, Where to Find Public Hunting Areas, Iowa Hunting and Trapping Regulations, and
Nonresident Landowner Adavit, go to www.iowadnr.gov/hunting/nonresidenthunting
2021
4,450 Optional
ANTLERLESS-ONLY
License Quota map
available July 2021.
NONRESIDENT HUNTING LICENSE
Hunting license and habitat fees for
nonresidents for 2022 go on sale Jan. 1,
2022. The 2021 licenses are on sale until
Dec. 31, 2021.
2021
NONRESIDENTS UNDER AGE 16 who hunt
under the direct supervision of their properly
licensed parent, guardian or other competent
adult DO NOT need a hunting license or pay
the habitat fee.
2
NONRESIDENT DEER LICENSE APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
LICENSE QUOTAS
6,000 General deer/Antlerless-only combination
licenses are avail able, divided among 10 zones.
No more than 35 percent for each zone can be
for the bow season.
4,450 Optional Antlerless-only deer licenses. Sold
in a separate process after General deer/Antlerless-
only combination licenses are issued.
Quotas for General deer/Antlerless-only
combination and Bow licenses have been established
for each zone (p. 1). General deer/Antler less-only
combination licenses will be issued randomly within
each zone for the season designated by the applicant
until the Bow or General deer/Antlerless-only
combination quota is reached for each zone. If the
Bow quota is reached rst, General deer/Antlerless-
only combination licenses will continue to be issued
for rearm seasons until the zone quota is reached.
IMPORTANT NOTICES
General deer/ Antlerless-only license
combinations, optional Antler less-only for hunters with
landowner’s preference (p. 3), optional Antlerless-only
licenses for non-landowners and optional Antlerless-
only licenses for the Holiday season are sold at
separate times and by separate methods. Please read
through the entire guide before deciding which license
you are eligible for and wish to purchase.
Two types of hunters must submit adavits of
eligibility to the DNR before applying for a license:
1) hunters wishing to participate in the disabled
season and 2) nonresident landowners applying for
preference for antlerless-only licenses. Adavits
must be received by the DNR at least ve working
days prior to applying for a license. Adavits
may be obtained at www.iowadnr.gov/hunting/
nonresidenthunting or call 515-725-8200.
APPLYING FOR A LICENSE
Nonresident deer hunting licenses must be
applied for through the DNR’s web-based license
sales system at https://gooutdoorsiowa.com/ and
follow the prompts. Nonrefundable license agent
writing fees, administrative fees and application fees
will be added to all applications. Application fees may
be charged to either MasterCard or Visa. ATM cards
are not accepted.
HUNTER EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
Nonresident hunters born after Jan. 1, 1972,
must provide proof of having successfully completed
a hunter education course to apply for or obtain a
deer hunting license. Applicants will not be accepted
without proof of completion. Hunters required to
have hunter education certication and who have not
previously bought an Iowa license may be required to
either email
[email protected] or call
833-759-9797 in a copy of their hunter education
certication card or letter to the Gooutdoors Iowa
service desk.
GENERAL DEER/MANDATORY
ANTLERLESS LICENSES
Applications for General deer/Antlerless-only
licenses will be accepted beginning 6 a.m. CDT
May 1 through June 6. If applications have been
sold in excess of the license quota or bow quota for
any zone, a drawing will be held to determine which
applicants receive licenses. Hunters will be emailed
regarding their draw status prior to the excess sale.
Drawing status will not be provided over the
phone.
Licenses will be mailed to successful applicants
in August. Refunds of license fees will be mailed
to unsuccessful applicants 6 to 8 weeks after the
drawing. License agent writing fees, administrative
fees, telephone or internet application fees and the
mandatory $60.50 preference point fee will not be
refunded.
If any license quota for General deer/Antlerless-
only combination licenses has not been lled, the
excess licenses will be sold rst-come, rst-served
online or through the telephone ordering system
beginning 6 a.m. CDT July 31. Licenses will be sold
until the quota has been lled or 10 days before
the start of the respective season. To check the
availability of excess or antlerless licenses go to
www.gooutdoorsiowa.com.
GROUP APPLICATIONS
Hunters may apply for General deer/Antlerless-
only combination licenses as individuals or groups
of up to 15, with one member identied as the group
leader. The group leader must apply rst and state
he/she is the group leader. Members of a group must
apply separately, but each member must submit
the group number that is given to the group leader
when applying. If there is a drawing, all members
of a group will be assigned the preference point(s)
of the member with the fewest points. All members
of a group will be accepted or rejected to gether
in the drawing. Group members that are rejected
may purchase excess General deer/Antlerless-only
combination or optional Antlerless-only licenses
individually if quotas are not lled.
3
You Are Not Eligible For An Optional Nonresident
Landowner Antlerless-Only License If You Are:
l a member of a nonresident landowner’s family
l a nonresident who owns land jointly with a
resident
l a nonresident or a family member who are
tenants in Iowa but not landowners
In cases where more than one nonresident is listed
as the owner of land, only one member of the joint
ownership will be eligible in the same year.
PREFERENCE POINTS
Hunters who choose not to apply for General
deer/ Antlerless-only combination licenses in
2020 may purchase one preference point that will
improve chances of getting a license in a future year.
Preference points may only be purchased May 1 -
June 6. Prefer ence points are $60.50 plus application
fees and will be available online or through the
telephone ordering system.
Hunters unsuccessful in the General deer/
Antlerless-only combination license drawing will
be given one preference point AND assessed a
mandatory, nonrefundable $60.50 preference point
fee. Preference points will not accrue in a year in
which you fail to apply or purchase a prefer ence point,
but you will retain any preference points previously
earned. Once you receive an General deer/Antlerless-
only combination license, your preference point(s)
will be eliminated. (You will not lose preference points
by purchasing an optional Antlerless-only license).
You may use your preference points in any zone or
season the next time you apply. Preference points will
not apply to Antlerless-only licenses.
The license drawing for General deer/Antlerless-
only combination licenses will be made from the pool
of applicants with the most prefer ence points and
continue to pools with successively fewer preference
points until quotas are lled or all applicants have
received licenses.
NONRESIDENT LANDOWNER
ANTLERLESS-ONLY LICENSES
Nonresidents who own a farm unit in Iowa (see
box below) and have not purchased nonresident
General deer/Antlerless-only combination licenses
will have rst preference in purchasing an optional
Antlerless-only license. Landowners who want
preference for this license must provide proof of land
ownership to the DNR each year they are eligible. A
fully completed “Adavit for Nonresident Landowner
Antlerless-only Deer Hunting License” must be
received by the DNR at least ve work ing days prior
to purchasing the license.
Adavits may be obtained through the DNR’s
website at www.iowadnr.gov or by calling 515-725-
8200 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
CDT. The form can be mailed, faxed or emailed (PDF
format) to you. Nonresidents that have landowner
preference may purchase an optional Antlerless-
only license beginning 6 a.m. CDT July 31. Optional
Landowner Antler less-only licenses will be valid only
on the farm unit of the landowner. Optional Antlerless-
only licenses will only be issued for either of the
two regular gun seasons or for the disabled hunter
season. For purposes of obtaining this license, all the
land owned in Iowa will be considered one farm unit.
NONRESIDENT REGULAR
ANTLERLESS-ONLY LICENSES
Nonresidents who have not claimed landowner
preference and who have not purchased a General
deer/Anterless-only combination license may
purchase one of the 4,450 optional Antlerless-only
licenses. The optional Antlerless-only licenses will be
issued on a per-county quota basis. Some counties
will not be available for optional Antlerless-only
licenses. The quota of optional Antlerless-only will
be posted on the DNR website in July shortly before
license sales begin.
These licenses are valid only in the county and
season specied on the license. Optional Antlerless-
only licenses will only be issued for either of the
two regular gun seasons or for the disabled hunter
season. Licenses are sold rst-come, rst served
beginning 6 a.m. CDT July 31 and will remain on sale
until the quota is lled or the last day of the season for
which the license is valid, whichever occurs rs
t.
HOLIDAY DEER LICENSE
If the quota of nonresident optional Antlerless-
only licenses is not lled, hunters who do not have a
nonresident deer license may purchase an optional
Antlerless-only license for the holiday season.
Licenses may only be purchased over the counter
through any ELSI license agent beginning Dec. 15,
2021.
Licenses will be valid from Dec. 24 through Jan. 2,
2022. A muzzleloader, bow or handgun may be used
(see Legal Weapons, p. 4).
Hunting license and habitat fees for nonresidents
for 2022 go on sale Jan. 1, 2022. The 2021 licenses
are on sale until Dec. 31, 2021.
INVALID LICENSES
An Iowa resident hunting license will be invalid if:
l You obtain a license under false pretenses
l You do anything that would forfeit your eligibility for
a resident license after the license is obtained, such
as moving out of Iowa or obtaining a resident hunting
license in another state
.
4
WHO MUST PURCHASE NONRESIDENT
LICENSES TO HUNT DEER IN IOWA?
You must purchase Iowa nonresident hunting
licenses UNLESS you meet at least ONE of the
following criteria to qualify as an Iowa resident:
1. Have physically resided in this state as your
principal and primary residence or domicile for period
of not less than 90 consecutive days immediately
before applying for or purchasing a resident license
and have an Iowa drivers license or non operators
ID. Factors to determine the domicile include but are
not limited to place of employment, mailing (street)
address, utility records, real estate records, vehicle
registrations, and addresses listed on the state and
federal income tax records.
A person is not considered a resident under this
paragraph if the person is residing in the state only
for a special or temporary purpose including but not
limited to engaging in hunting, shing or trapping.
2. Is a full-time student at an accredited educa-
tional institution in Iowa and reside in Iowa while
attending the educational institution, or are a full-time
student under 25 years of age at an accredited edu-
cational institution outside the state as long as at least
one parent or legal guardian maintains a principal and
primary residence in Iowa.
3. Is a student who qualies as a resident pursuant
to the above paragraph only for the purpose of pur-
chasing any resident license specied in sec. 483A.1
or 484A.2
4. Is a nonresident age 16-18 with a parent who is
a legal resident of Iowa.
5. Is a member of the armed forces of the United
States who is serving on active duty, claims residency
in this state, and has led a state individual income
tax return for the preceding year, or is stationed in this
state
.
DUAL RESIDENCY NOT PERMITTED
You may not purchase Iowa resident hunting
licenses if you have done any of the following (except
for persons qualifying under 2, 3, 4 or 5 above):
l Have a currently valid resident hunting, shing,
trapping or other recreational license issued in
another state or country
l Have a currently valid driver’s license issued in
another state or country
l Are legally registered to vote in another state or
country
l Claim a homestead or other state tax exemption
in another state or country
l Are receiving public assistance in another state or
country
l Claim a state other than Iowa as your primary
residence state
This is not a complete list of rules governing
Iowa residency. Other privileges claimed as a
resident of another state or country may also
disqualify you from purchasing a resident license.
NONRESIDENT LANDOWNERS
Owning land in Iowa does not confer residency.
Persons who own land in Iowa but do not meet the
criteria to purchase resident hunting licenses are not
eligible for free resident landowner-tenant licenses or
other resident deer licenses. Nonresident landowners
will have rst opportunity to purchase a nonresident
Antlerless-only license. See page 5 for details.
LICENSE REQUIREMENTS AND
RESTRICTIONS
Nonresidents must have in their possession a
2021 Iowa Nonresident Deer Hunting License, a valid
Iowa Nonresident Small Game Hunting License and a
valid Habitat Fee to hunt, possess or transport deer.
As a nonresident, you MAY NOT:
l apply for or purchase more than one nonresident
General deer/Ant lerless-only license combination.
l apply for or purchase a resident and nonresident
deer hunting license in the same year unless your
resident status changes.
l carry, use or have in your possession any license
or transporta tion tag issued to another hunter.
l hunt in any zone, season, county or farm unit (if
applicable) other than that specied on the license.
l obtain a deer license if your Iowa hunting
privileges have been suspended or revoked.
LEGAL WEAPONS
Regular Gun Seasons — 10, 12, 16 or 20 gauge
shotguns shooting slugs only; muzzleloading ries;
handguns; and ries capable of shooting straight wall
cartridges.
Muzzleloader Season (including Holiday
Deer Li cense) — Flintlock or percussion cap
muzzleloading ries or muskets between .44 and
.775 caliber shooting single projectiles, or bows and
handguns as described here. There are no restrictions
on inline or disk-style muzzleloaders
Severely Disabled Hunter Season — Bows,
shotguns, muzzleloading ries or muskets, and
handguns as described here.
Bow Season — Only longbows, recurve bows, or
compound bows shooting broadhead arrows. Arrows
must be at least 18 inches in length. Chemical or
explosive devices MAY NOT be attached to the arrow.
A physically disabled person incapable of shooting
a bow as dened above may obtain a permit from
the DNR to use a crossbow to hunt deer. For an
application, go to https://www.iowadnr.gov/Hunting/
Hunting-Licenses-Laws/License-Applications or call
515-725-8200.
Nonresident bow licenses are valid during both
splits of the bow season or until the tag is lled.
Legal Handguns/Ries — Center-re handguns
from .350 to .500 caliber, ries shooting straight wall
ammunition with an expanding-type bullet, with a
published or calculated muzzle energy of 500 foot
5
MANDATORY HARVEST REPORTING
Hunters who harvest a deer or wild turkey must
report the harvest to the DNR by midnight on the
day after it is tagged, or before taking it to a locker or
taxidermist, or before processing it for consumption,
or before transporting it out-of-state, whichever occurs
rst. The hunter whose name is on the transportation
tag is responsible for making the report. If no animal
is harvested, no report is necessary. Failure to report
or reporting falsely may result in a misdemeanor
citation and possible loss of hunting privileges.
Options to report the harvest:
1) NEW: Simply text your registration number to
1-800-771-4692 and follow the prompts.
2) Online at www.iowadnr.gov, available 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week.
3) By phone at the toll-free phone number printed
on the harvest report tag, available 24 hours a day, 7
days a week.
4) Through a license vendor during regular
business hours.
The Harvest Reporting System will issue a con-
rmation number to the hunter that must be written on
the Harvest Report Tag and attached to the leg of the
animal. Failure to do so may result in a misdemeanor
citation.
pounds or higher, and black powder handguns .44
caliber or larger shooting a single projectile. Minimum
barrel length for all handguns is 4 inches. No shoulder
stock or long barrel modications are allowed.
A person who is 20 years of age or less shall not
hunt deer with a pistol or revolver unless accompanied
and under the direct supervision of a person who is at
least 21 years of age with a valid hunting license.
ALLOWABLE STRAIGHT-WALLED
CARTRIDGE CRITERIA
The Iowa DNR is in the process of updating the
rule ahead of the 2021 deer season. The
information will be available online at
www.iowadnr.gov/hunting and in the 2021-22 Iowa
Hunting, Trapping and Migratory Game Bird
Regulations book available in early August.
Iowa hunting and shing information is available at www.iowadnr.gov. For news and updates, including dead lines about Iowa deer and turkey hunting
and drawing stastics go to www.iowadnr.gov/hunting/nonresidenthunting or follow the Iowa DNR at twitter.com/iowadnr or at facebook.com/iowadnr
