Non-residents must apply for an any deer license beginning at 6 a.m. on the first Saturday in May through the first Sunday following Memorial Day. The non-resident application will be available in April.
You can request an application by calling (515) 281-5918 or (515) 281-4687.
Non-resident deer hunting licenses may be applied for through the DNR’s new web-based license sales system of by calling the telephone ordering system at 1-800-367-1188. To apply on line, go to http://www.iowadnr.com/ look for the hunting license sales icon and follow the prompts. A non-refundable application fee and a credit card fee will be added to applications whether submitted by Internet or phone.
All non resident Any deer application will include a mandatory Anterless only application for an additional $100. Successful applicants will receive an Any deer and an Antlerless only license. If unsuccessful, neither license will be issued.
Hunters who tag a deer must report the harvest to the DNR by midnight of the day after it is killed, before taking it to a locker, before processing it for consumption or before leaving the state, whichever occurs first. The hunter whose name is on the tag placed on the animal must report. If no animal is harvested, no reporting is necessary. Failure to report or falsely reporting may result in a misdemeanor citation.
Hunters who choose not to apply for an Any-deer license in Iowa may purchase one preference point that will improve their chances of getting a license in a future year. Preference points may only be purchased and will cost $50.50 plus application fees and will be available on line or through the telephone ordering system. Preference points purchased in this manner will be handled the same as preference points obtained by hunters who are unsuccessful in the Any-deer drawing.