South Central Iowa boasts some of the best hunting land in North America for White Tail Deer and Wild Turkey. The combination of timber, pasture, conservation land and river bottoms makes the southern three tiers of counties in Iowa prime white tail and turkey habitat. Several other factors combine to enhance the productivity of this area for these particular wild game species:

(1) While there is considerable row crop farming, the area is for the most part not completely given over to row crops as is much of the rest of Iowa and nearby eastern Nebraska, southern Minnesota and central Illinois. The land is more rolling than that farther north and, most often, there is hardwood and cedar timber in the draws,  hollows and valleys, as well as on many hillsides, to provide cover and variety.

(2) There is enough farming and conservation land to provide great bedding and nutritious foraging for both species as well as for bob-white quail and other game birds.

Typical Southern Iowa Topography

(3) The rolling nature of the land - lots of hills and valleys, combined with the relatively low human population, also adds to the wild game habitat and security.

(4) The many livestock operations in the area are primarily grazing and hay harvesting operations that have relatively little negative impact on the game species.

(5) While coyotes, bobcats and the occasional cougar may harvest a few newborn and older, weaker deer as well as young turkeys, trapping and lax enforcement of no-kill bobcat regulations have kept these predators at a minimum.

(6) Although regulations prevent baiting deer, many farmers, ranchers and hunting landowners have provided food plots and supplements to enhance the nutrition of local wild stock, especially white tail deer.

 
Carolin Inspects a typical Southern Iowa Deer Stand

Hunting access in Southern Iowa is primarily through land ownership although leasing for hunting is increasing. Also, there are several hunt-for-fee game and hunting ranches scattered throughout Southern Iowa. Southern Iowa hunting land is so productive that large tracts are not necessary - most hunters with limited resources band together to hunt several smaller tracts of land. A 40-acre or 80-acre tract with the right configuration can provide exciting hunting for all but the most jaded of hunters and a few hundred acres can support a very large hunting party.

More of Southern Iowa
 

While the value of Southern Iowa acreages and farms has appreciated substantially in the last few years, they are still affordable relative to undeveloped huntable land in the rest of Iowa and most other areas of the United States and Canada.

Central Iowa (north of South Central Iowa) also offers hunters ample opportunity because it has sufficient rivers, streams and open land to offer very good hunting. Land prices closer to Des Moines generally will be higher than the more remote tracts.