Iowa is known around the country not just for its cornfields, but also for the quality of the state’s white-tailed deer hunting. This year, the Iowa Chapter of The Wildlife Society is auctioning off a special nonresident deer license to one lucky individual who will get a real Hawkeye experience. The proceeds of the auction will help Iowa Chapter members attend TWS’ annual conference in Des Moines this fall.
The auction winner can redeem their prize during any deer season in 2026 or 2027, whether archery, either gun season or the late muzzleloader season. The license is valid for the entire state of Iowa and can be transferred from the buyer to another nonresident hunter.
The proceeds will be evenly split between the Iowa Chapter of the Wildlife Society (IA TWS) and the Iowa Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund. Together with federal excise taxes from the Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson acts, the fund supports conservation across the state of Iowa.
Each year, nonresidents can enter a lottery for the chance to purchase a highly sought after white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) tag. But the wait lists are long and the chance any one hunter will be selected is low. To help raise money for conservation and nonprofits in the state, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources sets aside 50 special Iowa nonresident licenses to be auctioned off.
This year, for the first time, the proceeds of the auction will be diverted back to the people that manage Iowa’s renowned trophy white-tailed deer population: wildlife biologists.
“We can do a lot of good with the proceeds of the auction,” said Adam Janke, the president of IA TWS. The proceeds of the silent auction will be dispersed to students and professionals who wouldn’t have otherwise been able to attend the conference in their own backyard.
Janke describes the upcoming TWS international conference in Des Moines, Iowa, as a “once in a career” experience for the wildlife biologists of Iowa. His goal is to send as many Iowans to the conference as possible.
The auction is now live. If you would like to place a bid and support IA TWS, you can do so here. Bidding will close on June 15, 2026, at 6:45 p.m. Central Time Zone.
