Central Zone

About Central Zone

Central Zone is a duck and goose zone in Iowa, United States, set by Iowa Department of Natural Resources. It covers about 60,614 km² (23,403 mi²). Towns inside it include Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Ankeny, Iowa City and West Des Moines.

HuntGrid draws its boundary from Iowa Department of Natural Resources's data for the 2026 season. The agency uses this unit system for waterfowl.

Unit code

Central

Area

60,614 km²

Area (miles)

23,403 mi²

Boundaries

2026

Public and protected land mapped inside it

HuntGrid's public land layers map about 1,574 km² of public or protected land inside it, 3% of the unit. Some protected land is privately owned (a conservation group's, for one). By manager, as the source names it:

Boundaries are approximate and aren't legal descriptions. Public land doesn't always mean you can hunt there: check your local regulations and posted signs.

Public land: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gap Analysis Project (GAP), 2025, Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US) 4.1

Seasons and regulations

Seasons for this unit that a person has checked against Iowa Department of Natural Resources's regulations:

The official regulations have the final word: check them before you hunt.

Official regulations: Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Units around it

Next to it in the same unit system

• North Zone
• South Zone

Other hunting units that cover part of it

• Bobcat counties, limit 1 (bobcat season county group)
• Nonresident Zone 2 (nonresident deer zone)
• Nonresident Zone 3 (nonresident deer zone)
• Bobcat counties, limit 3 (bobcat season county group)
• Fall Turkey Zone 4
• Nonresident Spring Turkey Zone 4
• Nonresident Zone 4 (nonresident deer zone)
• Fall Turkey Zone 5
• Nonresident Spring Turkey Zone 5
• Fall Turkey Zone 6
• Nonresident Spring Turkey Zone 6
• Nonresident Zone 7 (nonresident deer zone)
• Fall Turkey Zone 7
• Nonresident Spring Turkey Zone 7
• Nonresident Zone 8 (nonresident deer zone)
• Zone A (resident deer zone)
• Zone B (resident deer zone)
• Des Moines metropolitan goose area (metropolitan goose hunting area)
• Ruffed grouse open area

What HuntGrid shows for Central Zone

• Its boundary on the map; tap inside it for the unit's card with the agency's regulations link.
• Public land and the other hunting units in the same view, each with its source.
• Season dates once a person has checked them, and legal shooting hours where the rule is checked.
• Hourly wind with a scent cone for every stand, and official weather alerts.
• Offline maps: download the area and use the map, your pins and the forecast with no signal.

Open in HuntGrid

Questions

How big is Central Zone (duck and goose zone)?

About 60,614 km² (23,403 mi²), as HuntGrid maps Iowa Department of Natural Resources's boundary.

How much public or protected land is in Central Zone?

HuntGrid's public land layers map about 1,574 km² of public or protected land, 3% of the unit; the largest share is managed by DNR - Wildlife. Public land doesn't always mean you can hunt there.

Where are the season dates for Central Zone?

This page lists 41 seasons a person has checked against Iowa Department of Natural Resources's regulations; the official regulations have the final word.

Which units are next to Central Zone?

In the same unit system: North Zone and South Zone.

More on huntgrid.net

• Hunting map of Iowa
• Duck and goose hunting
• HuntGrid, the hunting app

Sources

Unit boundary: Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Licence: Iowa DNR. Boundaries for the 2026 season.

• The agency's boundary data
• Official regulations

HuntGrid isn't affiliated with Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The official regulations and maps have the final word.