Iowa Nonres sitting on 2 preference points

[iowa whitetail]

I know alot of people who live hear that haven't killed a (big buck). I work my but off to what I call big bucks. I would say your buddy is wrong.

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[kenn1320]

Guys I'm still planning on scouting, just frustrating to hear comments like that. It could come down to some people just have better luck than others. We can work as hard as we want, or think we know whats what, but the huge variable is we are counting on a wild animal to follow the script. There are days every year that just click and lots of bucks get killed that day. Same with turkeys, one day you cant get one to respond no matter what you do, then the next you get them answering to the slam of a car door and you screw up your calling and still manage to call one in and boom. Ive had farms I cant hardly see a deer, yet my co worker goes and helps his friend not 1/2 mile away drag out a nice buck. The guy says he sees 20 plus deer a night.

[muddy]

It's not easy, still a significant amount of work goes in. My buddy hunts all the same places that I do and hasn't killed a result nice buck in 5 years as a resident.

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[keb]

I been to Iowa to times, 1st time I killed a 155 on day 2. This was on private land that was way,way over looked. I was actually told it was a waste of time to hunt it. But cutting my teeth on public land within ear shot of over 500,000 people it was a gold mine to me.

The second time I was on public land and spent close to a month in 3 different counties. Should have killed another buck in the 150s but missed chances at 3 that size with the stickbow.

The deer move better in Iowa more daylight movement because of lack of pressure in the areas I hunted.

I am no way saying its like shooting fish in a barrell, but if you come from a place or state that gets hammered it may seem easier to see them because they are not walking around looking in trees.

I am sure parts of Iowa near large cities are just as pressured as many other states.

I do know this, if you are used to hunting out side the box there are allot of places to hunt.

And I will add this, there is reason lots of the TV guys live there.

[MN Slick]

Zone 4 has some pretty large pieces of hill country type public ground. I'd focus on the rut strategies from Dan's Hill Country video and scout accordingly. I'm not sure how hard the public areas got hit by EHD in 2012 and 2013 but I know the general area got slammed. I hunt Missouri just a few miles from the border and love a late October cold front which seems gets the older dudes up for a few days and from around November 5th or 6th until around the 14th or 15th but they start locking down towards the end. I find the first 3-4 days of November to be slow from a mature buck standpoint even with good weather. PM for my very limited info on the public spots.

[kenn1320]

How is it that zone 7 is huge and yet only gives out 126 bow permits? Anybody hunt this zone?

[Haus86]

How is it that zone 7 is huge and yet only gives out 126 bow permits? Anybody hunt this zone?

There isn't as much habitat or ground to hunt.

[Bucky]

Zone 4 has some pretty large pieces of hill country type public ground. I'd focus on the rut strategies from Dan's Hill Country video and scout accordingly. I'm not sure how hard the public areas got hit by EHD in 2012 and 2013 but I know the general area got slammed. I hunt Missouri just a few miles from the border and love a late October cold front which seems gets the older dudes up for a few days and from around November 5th or 6th until around the 14th or 15th but they start locking down towards the end. I find the first 3-4 days of November to be slow from a mature buck standpoint even with good weather. PM for my very limited info on the public spots.

I agree 100%

Nov 1-5 are usually pretty slow for mature bucks (4yr +)

So timing... I'd go 6-15?

Locations for me would be SE corner or South Central

[keb]

why the southeast or south central Bucky is you don't mind me asking??

[Bucky]

why the southeast or south central Bucky is you don't mind me asking??

Those are the areas of Iowa I have been through....

Through Muddy I have been fortunate to be acquainted with 2 dozen MONSTER buck slayers (some in the NE, SE, S central, and SW). Consistently the GIANTS come from S central, SE with the Losse Hills (SW) being a close 3rd. NE is also good, but the topography to me would make it harder to kill than a "flat land"or gently rolling hills whitetail. Just my opinion.... I have never hunted Iowa... only Northern MO

The guys from Iowa consistently shoot 150-200" deer yearly.... I put together a Top 25 All Time Whitetails for the group and 175"er barely qualified to make the top 25

[muddy]

why the southeast or south central Bucky is you don't mind me asking??

That is the location for Giants year in and year out. Whenever you see Iowa on TV is always "southern Iowa"

The terrain and habitat is very good in those locations.

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[BassBoysLLP]

why the southeast or south central Bucky is you don't mind me asking??

That is the location for Giants year in and year out. Whenever you see Iowa on TV is always "southern Iowa"

The terrain and habitat is very good in those locations.

[ Post made via Android ]

I wouldn't be afraid of NE IA. The word is quality is fading, but the trail cam pics I saw last year were impressive!

[kenn1320]

why the southeast or south central Bucky is you don't mind me asking??

That is the location for Giants year in and year out. Whenever you see Iowa on TV is always "southern Iowa"

The terrain and habitat is very good in those locations.

[ Post made via Android ]

I wouldn't be afraid of NE IA. The word is quality is fading, but the trail cam pics I saw last year were impressive!

Guy I work with has a farm/family in NE Iowa. His family used to shoot some nice ones every year, and he used to show off. Last few years he has nothing to showboat about. It was cool to see his picks and he said they only hunt first day of gun season. He said one time they hunted second day, cause his brother hadn't got one yet. He has 5500 acres between 3 family's and they start pushing as soon as it gets light. Not my style of hunting, but he said bow hunting is stupid so to each their own.

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[keb]

The average place in iowa is better than allot of prime places in other states.

u could throw a dart at a map in iowa and have a good hunt if u work hard.

Some of the best hunting I had was in a county not know for big bucks I seen more there than I did in one alleged famous region.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Edcyclopedia]

^ I'll Add ^

Big to one hunter is not necessarily big to another.

When I go out of state I look for a chance @ +120"; If a 135" or bigger shows, that's just a bonus in my eyes...
I'm sure Iowa's 120's are like NH 90 inchers... Making this a better than average adventure!