Can You Legally Keep An Arrowhead You Find In Iowa?
Normally when I hear the word hunting, I picture someone out in the wilderness trying to track down some type of game to kill and take home to eat. According to Google, hunting is defined as "the activity of hunting wild animals or game, especially for food or sport."
When you really think about it, you could technically hunt for anything. Berries, morel mushrooms, flowers, specific trees, the tv remote lost in your couch, a new house, the perfect crayons for your child's school project, a new restaurant to try for dinner, or arrowheads, to name a few.
I saw this video on the internet the other day from this guy who was arrowhead hunting in Iowa and I wondered to myself if there were any specific rules to hunting arrowheads. Like most types of hunting done in nature, there are laws you are legally obligated to follow if you're on the search for arrowheads. Whether you're out hunting for arrowheads or happen to stumble upon one, I was wondering if you can pick it up and take it home here in Iowa?
Can You Keep An Arrowhead?
The quick and easy answer is...it depends. According to Where To Find Arrowheads, it is perfectly legal to hunt arrowheads on private property in all 50 states that make up the U.S. If you happen to be hunting for them on someone else's land, it should go without saying but you'll obviously need permission.
If you're on public land this is a completely different story. According to Where To Find Arrowheads, it is not legal to hunt on government-owned land like state parks, national parks, national monuments, Corp of Engineer reservoirs, National Forests, or Bureau of Land Management land.
You can receive a ticket for simply picking up an arrowhead in any of those locations. These tickets can add up pretty quickly if you find and pick up multiple arrowheads in any of those locations. You can receive a $225 misdemeanor fine for every arrowhead you pick up.
It's very possible I'm just an idiot but I would've never even thought about this if I came across an arrowhead. I don't have any desire to collect them but I would've never known that legally, I'm supposed to leave them alone if I'm on public land. When it comes to finding arrowheads it's not always a "finders keepers" situation.