New year, new license. Iowa’s 2025 hunting and fishing licenses expired on January 10. Licenses are available at 650 locations across the state, and online at www.iowadnr.gov/GoOutdoorsIowa.

Iowa’s 2025-26 deer harvest through the late muzzleloader and archery seasons is currently just shy of 100,000, which is an increase of one percent over last year, but four percent lower than the five-year average. Iowa’s deer harvest is available in real time by county at https://gooutdoorsiowa.com/RealTimeHarvestReport.aspx. Iowa’s final two deer seasons – the Population Management January Antlerless Season and the Excess Tag January Antlerless Season – close on January 25.  

While most hunting seasons have closed, there are a few opportunities remaining. The central Iowa goose zone season closes on January 17; the southern Iowa goose zone season closes on January 24; quail, partridge, ruffed grouse and fox and gray squirrel seasons closes on January 31; and rabbit season closes on February 28.

Furbearer seasons close on February 28, except for beaver, which closes on April 15.