Urban Bow Hunting

2023 - 2024 Season - September 16, 2023 - January 10, 2024

The Urban Deer Bow Hunting Program is a cooperative effort between the City of Marshalltown and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). The purpose of the program is deer management within the City limits. The IDNR controls the number of deer hunting licenses issued for hunting within the City limits. An urban bow hunting license is for hunting of antlerless deer only during this annually specified season.  To receive an urban bow hunting permit, hunters must meet all the requirements established by the IDNR for bow hunting and City regulations, when more restrictive than State regulations.

Bow Hunting Rules and more

Marshalltown Urban Bow Hunting rules.
Marshalltown Zone 78 Deer Management Urban Bow area map.
Bow Hunting Permit application.
Landowner Permission form.

Chronic wasting disease found in Marshall County deer

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has scheduled two meetings to update the public on Chronic Wasting Disease surveillance and management efforts in Jasper, Marshall and Grundy counties.
 - Baxter, Aug. 29, 7 p.m., Baxter Public Library, 202 E State Street
 - Wellsburg, Oct. 10, 7 p.m., Wellsburg Memorial Building, 501 N Adams Street

Urban Bow Hunter Permit

The City issues a permit necessary to then obtain urban deer hunting licenses. With a $10 fee, a permit may be issued at the Parks and Recreation Department, 10 West State, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. The IDNR special urban license for Zone 78 may be purchased in Marshalltown from Theisen’s or The General Store.  

Requirements to receive a permit require:
1. Hunters must be age 18 years or older on the first day of the hunt.
2. Hunters must provide proof of successful completion a hunter safety education program.
(The Iowa DNR website has this program information at https://www.iowadnr.gov/Hunting/Hunter-Education/Bow-Hunter-Education)
3. Hunters must provide results of an annual archery proficiency test using the same weapon to be used to hunt within the City. This proficiency test must be administered by a Marshalltown Park & Rec certified proficiency tester.
Archery testing: 80% proficiency with a 10” target with 10-arrows at 20 yards and 10-arrows at 15 yards.
Crossbow archer testing: 100% proficiency with a 9” target with 5-arrows at 25 yards.

(If a replacement Bow Hunter Safety Education card or certificate is needed, a temporary card may be printed and a plastic card obtained from https://www.ilostmycard.com. Cost for this replacement service will be $10.)

Incentive Program of Iowa DNR Special Issue Any-Sex Tag, and Minimum Requirements:
Any-sex deer licenses are issued through the Electronic Licensing System of Iowa (ELSI) from the opening date to the closing hunt date of the following year/season within this deer management Zone 78.
Eligibility:
1. A minimum of three doe (adults, yearlings, or fawns) harvested during this current 2023-2024 season.
2. All harvested deer must be visually verified at Marshalltown Parks & Recreation office or Fire Department.
3. All deer harvests must be reported to and registered with both the Parks & Recreation office and Iowa DNR.

Female deer not both visually verified and reported to Park & Rec and the IDNR will not be eligible to qualify for an any-sex deer incentive license.  

Antlerless male deer (button, spike, or shed buck) are legal quarry, but will not count toward an incentive license.