Hunting in Iowa: 5 Animals To Hunt in the Summer

Although the summer is often considered to be the offseason for hunting in Iowa, the summer months are still ripe with opportunities for those who want to take advantage of targeting game with no season limitations.

These offseason hunts provide hunters a chance to enjoy the outdoors while honing in on hunting skills with the unique challenges that many of these game present. There are also opportunities to get in some hunting for other species in late summer for those who want to have a larger variety of animals to hunt. Always make sure to confirm season dates before hunting as they are subject to change.

According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, here are five animals that are available for hunting in the summer.

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1. Pigeon
Pigeons are listed in the Small Game and Upland Hunting Species category. The season for this species is continuously open and there are no restrictions on shooting hours, daily bag limits, or possession limits, according to the Iowa DNR hunting regulations.

2. Coyote
The coyote is a species that many people enjoy hunting in Iowa because of the unique challenges that this animal offers. This species has a continuous open season and there are no restrictions placed on shooting hours, daily bag limits, or total possession limits. This species falls under the Furbearer Hunting Season Species category.

3. Groundhog
Another animal under the Furbearer Hunting Season Category is the groundhog. Like the other animals listed here, hunters are able to take advantage of hunting this species year-round. There are no restrictions in place for shooting hours, daily bag limits, or possession limits.

4. Squirrel
The squirrel is listed in the Small Game and Upland Hunting Species category. The season dates for hunting this animal begins roughly on Aug. 30 and ends on Jan. 31 of the following year. There are no restrictions on shooting hours; however, there is a daily bag limit of six squirrels and a total possession limit of 12 for either the fox or gray squirrel.

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5. Cottontail Rabbit
The cottontail rabbit is listed under the category of Small Game and Upland Hunting Season species. The season for hunting this rabbit usually begins on Aug. 30 and runs until the end of February. Shooting hours start at sunrise and end at sunset. The daily bag limit is 10 with a total possession limit of 20 rabbits.

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