Iowa Deer — Zone 6
Zone 6
Iowa Zone 6 covers 1,819,970 acres and lies 11 miles south of Fairfield and 22 miles west of Mount Pleasant. 2% of it is public land, mostly state land (1%) and county or city land (1%). In 2024, hunters took 10,561 deer here. The 2026 draw put up 520 nonresident tags here for 786 first-choice applicants, and the last tag went to someone with 1 points.
Your chance of drawing here
Every deer license type on offer in Zone 6, with the prior-draw chance for a first-choice nonresident applicant. Type your points in to see your own number.
Chances are from the 2026 draw (the most recent) for a first-choice nonresident. "Points needed" = the cut in the last draw.
Simple view Odds at every point level-
Z6-BOW Zone 6 General any-deer + mandatory antlerless combo, bow season 280 tags · 513 applicants · needed 5 pts0% Point builder
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Z6-GUN Zone 6 General any-deer + mandatory antlerless combo, gun pool (regular gun 1 & 2, late muzzleloader, disabled seasons) 520 tags · 786 applicants · needed 1 pts0% Point builder
| Hunt | Your odds (0 pts) | Points needed | Tags / applicants | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Z6-BOW ↗ Zone 6 General any-deer + mandatory antlerless combo, bow season Archery | 0% Point builder | 5 +1 since 2021 | 280 / 513 | Oct 1 – Dec 4, 2026 |
| Z6-GUN ↗ Zone 6 General any-deer + mandatory antlerless combo, gun pool (regular gun 1 & 2, late muzzleloader, disabled seasons) Rifle | 0% Point builder | 1 +1 since 2021 | 520 / 786 | Dec 5–9, 2026 |
What these columns mean
- Your odds —
- the share of applicants at your point level who drew this tag in the 2026 draw. Not a forecast: quotas and demand move every year.
- The badge —
- plain language for that number. Likely draw 75% or better · Real chance 40%+ · Long shot 15%+ · Point builder below that, so you are applying mainly to bank a point · Undersubscribed means fewer first-choice applicants than tags, so everyone who applied drew.
- Points needed —
- the lowest point total that still got a tag in the 2026 draw, and how that cut has moved since the earliest draw we hold.
- Tags / applicants —
- tags on offer and first-choice applicants for them, as the agency published them. Under five tags we print counts instead of a percentage, because one applicant either way swings it.
What it costs to apply (2026 nonresident fees)
| License | Up front | Gone if you miss | If you draw |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per application | $644 | $0 | $644 |
Application window: opens May 2, closes Jun 7, 2027 (expected). Full fee breakdown.
The country
Boundaries are drawn for orientation only — the written boundary description in the regulations governs.
How the hunting has gone
What Iowa Department of Natural Resources publishes for this area after each season — harvest statistics for everyone who hunted it, not draw odds and not a forecast. Iowa Department of Natural Resources publishes these by county rather than by zone; the figures below are summed from the 6 counties in this zone.
| Season | Harvest |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 10,561 |
What the agency says about the area
Counties: Wapello, Jefferson, Van Buren, Davis, Henry, Lee
Source: Iowa Nonresident Deer Hunting Zones map (December 2023)
Boundary: TIGERweb State_County layer, Iowa counties (STATE=19)
Harvest: Iowa DNR White-tailed Deer Program Report (2024-2025 season)