Iowa Draw Odds
Iowa runs a pure preference-point draw for its 6,000 nonresident any-deer licenses, split across 10 zones with no more than 35% of each zone going to the bow season - the gun pools in a few zones still draw at 0-1 points while the best bow zones (4, 5, 6, 9) now take 4-7+ points. You front the whole cost (about $644: $131 license + $15 habitat fee + $498 deer/antlerless combo) when you apply in the May 2 - June 7 window, and if you miss you get it back minus a mandatory $60.50 preference-point fee that buys the point for next year.
The separate nonresident spring turkey draw (2,300-license cap, zones 4-8, four April seasons, January application) uses the same point system but most pools are undersubscribed and leftovers sell over the counter in February.
Sources: Iowa Department of Natural Resources documents, last verified September 1, 2026. · 15 sources
Odds by Species
The Rules, Side by Side
Nonresident and resident rules for every species. Small numbers are sources.
| Species | Who | System | Choices | Lower Choice Burns Points | Point-Only | Points Expire | Party Averages | NR Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Nonresident | Preference points 5 | 1 | No | Yes | No | No | 6,000 tags 5 |
| Turkey | Nonresident | Preference points 4 | 1 | No | Yes | No | No | 2,300 tags 4 |
NR Share
- Deer
- 6,000 tags Split between the ten nonresident zones by deer population, with no more than 35% of them for the bow season. Residents do not draw against this quota, so nonresidents compete only with each other.
- Turkey
- 2,300 tags 2,148 of them are combination gun/bow permits spread over zones 4 to 8 and four seasons, the other 150 muzzleloader-shotgun. Zones 1 to 3 and 9 are closed to nonresident turkey hunting.
How This Draw Works, With an Example
Preference points: Tags go to the applicants with the most preference points, one level at a time. If the last level that draws has more applicants than tags remaining, those applicants are chosen at random. Everyone below that level misses and earns a point.
Buying Points
A nonresident can buy a Preference point in Iowa without applying for a tag. How you buy one depends on the species; the table below gives each.
Taking any permit for that species spends the points you built. Points do not expire.
| Species | Resident | Nonresident | How | Points Lapse |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer On The Application · never lapses | — | $60.50 1 | On The Application | Never |
| Turkey On The Application · never lapses | — | $60.50 1 | On The Application | Never |
- 1.Plus the percentage-based application fee; no hunting licence is needed to buy a point
Source: Preference point — IowaDNR.gov
Fees
| 2026 Fee | Nonres. | Resident | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Every Applicant | |||
| Annual hunting license (18 and older) 2 To apply Charged with the application and refunded, less the point fee, if you miss. | $131 | — | To apply |
| Wildlife habitat fee 2 To apply | $15 | — | To apply |
| Preference point (deer or turkey) 2 If unsuccessful Charged to every unsuccessful applicant, and the price of a point bought without applying. | $60.50 | — | If unsuccessful |
| Deer | |||
| General any-deer + mandatory antlerless-only combination license 2 To apply Charged when you apply and refunded to your card 2–3 weeks after the draw if you miss. The point fee is kept. | $498 | — | To apply |
| Turkey | |||
| Spring turkey license 3 To apply | $119 | — | To apply |
| Cash to Apply, One Species | $265– |
— | Kept if you miss |
Cash to apply adds up every fee due with an application; each extra species adds its own application fee.
Next Application Deadlines
You pay the full tag fee when you apply.
-
Turkey · nonresidents only 3
results about Feb 13
(Last cycle ran Jan 1 – Jan 25, 2026.) Applications close on the last Sunday in January. You are emailed your result before leftover licenses go on sale in early February.
Jan 1–31, 2027 106 days expected -
Deer · nonresidents only 2
(Last cycle ran May 2 – Jun 7, 2026.) The window runs from the first Saturday in May to the first Sunday in June. Results are emailed in June, and leftover licenses go on sale in late July.
May 1 – Jun 6, 2027 232 days expected
Dates marked expected are last cycle's schedule rolled forward by Iowa Department of Natural Resources' own rule; confirm them once the new dates are published.
Legal cartridges in Iowa by species and weapon
Sources (15)
Draw Rules, Fees and Deadlines
- 1. Iowa Department of Natural Resources · 2025 Nonresident Iowa Deer Application Instructions
- 2. Iowa Department of Natural Resources · 2026 Nonresident Iowa Deer Application Instructions
- 3. Iowa Department of Natural Resources · 2026 Nonresident Spring Turkey Hunting guide
- 4. Iowa Legislature · Iowa Code §483A.7 - Wild turkey hunting license and tag (Iowa Code 2026)
- 5. Iowa Legislature · Iowa Code §483A.8 - Deer hunting license and tag (Iowa Code 2026)
Draw Results, Hunt Lists and Harvest Reports, 2021–2026
2026 · 1 document
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources · 2026 Nonresident Deer Draw - preference points of successful applicants by zone (Gun/Bow)
2025 · 2 documents
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources · 2025 Nonresident Spring Turkey Hunting guide
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources · Nonresident Deer Draw statistics - 2025 draw
2024 · 2 documents
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources · 2024 Nonresident Spring Turkey Hunting guide
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources · Nonresident Deer Draw statistics - 2024 draw
2023 · 2 documents
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources · 2023 Nonresident Spring Turkey Hunting guide
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources · Nonresident Deer Draw statistics - 2023 draw
2022 · 2 documents
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources · 2022 Nonresident Spring Turkey Hunting guide
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources · Nonresident Deer Draw statistics - 2022 draw
2021 · 1 document
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources · Nonresident Deer Draw statistics - 2021 draw
Report an error on this page
About These Numbers
Rules, fees and deadlines are copied from Iowa Department of Natural Resources documents and change by commission action; a date marked expected is last cycle's schedule rolled forward. The odds on each species page are last draw's results. Check the agency's site and apply there; we don't take applications. How we compute these.