DIY Iowa Public Fall 2021

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thwack16
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Re: DIY Iowa Public Fall 2021

Unread postby thwack16 » Sun Jun 20, 2021 10:48 am

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Re: DIY Iowa Public Fall 2021

Unread postby Mgaspari » Sun Jun 20, 2021 2:49 pm

I will be joining you lucky few in Iowa this year, zone 4
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Re: DIY Iowa Public Fall 2021

Unread postby Kvnyng72 » Tue Jun 22, 2021 6:26 am

Late season tag (Dec20-Jan10)... Zone 5. Don't need a tree but any help on a WMA is appreciated...plan on being mobile and camping... thoughts.
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Re: DIY Iowa Public Fall 2021

Unread postby Tim H » Tue Jun 22, 2021 6:56 am

Mgaspari wrote:I will be joining you lucky few in Iowa this year, zone 4


Good luck!
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Re: DIY Iowa Public Fall 2021

Unread postby Mgaspari » Tue Jul 20, 2021 2:13 pm

Tim H wrote:
Mgaspari wrote:I will be joining you lucky few in Iowa this year, zone 4


Good luck!


Thanks and good luck to you. Just got back from a quick 4 day scouting trip. Will be there first week of October for another scouting / hunting trip then back sometime in November. Pretty excited yet nervous after this last scouting session
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Re: DIY Iowa Public Fall 2021

Unread postby Tim H » Wed Jul 21, 2021 12:35 am

Mgaspari wrote:
Tim H wrote:
Mgaspari wrote:I will be joining you lucky few in Iowa this year, zone 4


Good luck!


Thanks and good luck to you. Just got back from a quick 4 day scouting trip. Will be there first week of October for another scouting / hunting trip then back sometime in November. Pretty excited yet nervous after this last scouting session


What's to be nervous about? It's Iowa the land of giants!
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Re: DIY Iowa Public Fall 2021

Unread postby littlebuckhunter » Wed Jul 21, 2021 7:29 am

Dewey wrote:
Tim H wrote:
Dewey wrote:
Tim H wrote:
Dewey wrote:
Tim H wrote:I got my results and I’m going to Iowa!

Congrats. Now the hard work begins. Hopefully you have some scouting time in already. The planning stage is pretty darn exiting. Oct 1st can never come quick enough when that tag is in your hand.


Thanks Dewey! I already have 3 scouting trips down there in the past few years.

Do you have any set standards or just killing the first buck that excites you? Either way is cool just curious.


I’ve been able to think about this for a good 4 years. I’d like to say a 130 would be the standard. But I’m not afraid to kill something that excites me. :lol:

130” is very doable. I ate an expensive bowl of tag soup last season after setting my standards too high but I was OK with that because that was my mindset going in. I killed a good one in 2016 so wasn’t afraid to shoot the moon and pass on bucks I never would have my first time hunting there. Like Roger Raglin always said you will never kill a Boone & Crocket if you keep killing Boone & Crickets. :lol:

I say shoot what makes you happy. As long as you don’t go thinking it will be easy because Booners are behind every tree you’ll do all right. It’s Iowa but that doesn’t make it a sure thing. Unless your name is Jackson Marsh. He makes it look easy. :lol:



OUCH! $1K total cost in tags, points, and licenses, 5 weeks of hunting time, and the expenses of travel/lodging. You're a bigger man than most. Your time is coming Dewey, hang in there!
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Re: DIY Iowa Public Fall 2021

Unread postby Primetime41 » Wed Jul 21, 2021 8:32 am

Dewey wrote:
seazofcheeze wrote:
Dewey wrote:
Moose wrote:You have alot better odds with a confrontation with big bucks BUT you still have to know how to hunt them. Just because the opportunity is better doesn't mean it's a guarantee. All the hunting practices still apply.

Exactly. I hunted Iowa last season for almost 5 full weeks and ended up eating my tag due to holding out for something really special. I saw a few that met my criteria but it just didn’t work out. No shortage of effort on my part just certain circumstances prevented a shot. That’s hunting and there are no guarantees even in Iowa. I think a lot of guys head there thinking there are Booners hiding behind every tree. Hate to break it to everyone but even in Iowa they’re pretty darn hard to find there on public.


Just curious what your criteria was? I'd imagine in 5 weeks you had to see a few nice bucks, were your looking for a 150+, 160+, bigger?

160”+ I shot a good one there in 2016 so wasn’t afraid to really up my standards this time. Too be honest a solid 150” would have been tough to pass though especially later in rut. That’s a great buck even in Iowa.

This one for sure would have gotten an arrow. Never seen him while on stand.

Image


Just curious, all things being equal (zone, hunting time, etc.), what would your standards be if/when you draw your next IA tag?
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Re: DIY Iowa Public Fall 2021

Unread postby Dewey » Wed Jul 21, 2021 8:53 am

Primetime41 wrote:
Dewey wrote:
seazofcheeze wrote:
Dewey wrote:
Moose wrote:You have alot better odds with a confrontation with big bucks BUT you still have to know how to hunt them. Just because the opportunity is better doesn't mean it's a guarantee. All the hunting practices still apply.

Exactly. I hunted Iowa last season for almost 5 full weeks and ended up eating my tag due to holding out for something really special. I saw a few that met my criteria but it just didn’t work out. No shortage of effort on my part just certain circumstances prevented a shot. That’s hunting and there are no guarantees even in Iowa. I think a lot of guys head there thinking there are Booners hiding behind every tree. Hate to break it to everyone but even in Iowa they’re pretty darn hard to find there on public.


Just curious what your criteria was? I'd imagine in 5 weeks you had to see a few nice bucks, were your looking for a 150+, 160+, bigger?

160”+ I shot a good one there in 2016 so wasn’t afraid to really up my standards this time. Too be honest a solid 150” would have been tough to pass though especially later in rut. That’s a great buck even in Iowa.

This one for sure would have gotten an arrow. Never seen him while on stand.

Image


Just curious, all things being equal (zone, hunting time, etc.), what would your standards be if/when you draw your next IA tag?

Likely same as above. I’m not afraid to eat a tag. The opportunity is well worth the price of admission for me. Whopper bucks are there just not easy to kill, even in Iowa. Killing a 120-130” would be reasonably doable but I just wasn’t interested in that this past season. Who knows in 4 years my standards may change. That’s the beauty of hunting bucks. It’s a personal decision that can change by the season or even the day depending on what the circumstances are.
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Re: DIY Iowa Public Fall 2021

Unread postby Moose » Wed Jul 21, 2021 10:54 pm

Primetime41 wrote:
Dewey wrote:
seazofcheeze wrote:
Dewey wrote:
Moose wrote:You have alot better odds with a confrontation with big bucks BUT you still have to know how to hunt them. Just because the opportunity is better doesn't mean it's a guarantee. All the hunting practices still apply.

Exactly. I hunted Iowa last season for almost 5 full weeks and ended up eating my tag due to holding out for something really special. I saw a few that met my criteria but it just didn’t work out. No shortage of effort on my part just certain circumstances prevented a shot. That’s hunting and there are no guarantees even in Iowa. I think a lot of guys head there thinking there are Booners hiding behind every tree. Hate to break it to everyone but even in Iowa they’re pretty darn hard to find there on public.


Just curious what your criteria was? I'd imagine in 5 weeks you had to see a few nice bucks, were your looking for a 150+, 160+, bigger?

160”+ I shot a good one there in 2016 so wasn’t afraid to really up my standards this time. Too be honest a solid 150” would have been tough to pass though especially later in rut. That’s a great buck even in Iowa.

This one for sure would have gotten an arrow. Never seen him while on stand.

Image


Just curious, all things being equal (zone, hunting time, etc.), what would your standards be if/when you draw your next IA tag?

I would want to hunt zone 5 or 6 personally anywhere from late October to mid November. As for standards I think that's kinda a personal goal for the individual hunter. Anyone that hunts out of state and kills a nice buck should be pretty happy with the limited scouting and hunting time they have. Iowa has a ton of deer and big bucks BUT there not on every piece of ground that you will be hunting. All the same rules of deer hunting apply even in Iowa or Kansas but your percentage increase vs other heavily hunted states.
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Re: DIY Iowa Public Fall 2021

Unread postby Primetime41 » Thu Jul 22, 2021 12:55 pm

Dewey wrote:
Primetime41 wrote:
Dewey wrote:
seazofcheeze wrote:
Dewey wrote:
Moose wrote:You have alot better odds with a confrontation with big bucks BUT you still have to know how to hunt them. Just because the opportunity is better doesn't mean it's a guarantee. All the hunting practices still apply.

Exactly. I hunted Iowa last season for almost 5 full weeks and ended up eating my tag due to holding out for something really special. I saw a few that met my criteria but it just didn’t work out. No shortage of effort on my part just certain circumstances prevented a shot. That’s hunting and there are no guarantees even in Iowa. I think a lot of guys head there thinking there are Booners hiding behind every tree. Hate to break it to everyone but even in Iowa they’re pretty darn hard to find there on public.


Just curious what your criteria was? I'd imagine in 5 weeks you had to see a few nice bucks, were your looking for a 150+, 160+, bigger?

160”+ I shot a good one there in 2016 so wasn’t afraid to really up my standards this time. Too be honest a solid 150” would have been tough to pass though especially later in rut. That’s a great buck even in Iowa.

This one for sure would have gotten an arrow. Never seen him while on stand.

Image


Just curious, all things being equal (zone, hunting time, etc.), what would your standards be if/when you draw your next IA tag?

Likely same as above. I’m not afraid to eat a tag. The opportunity is well worth the price of admission for me. Whopper bucks are there just not easy to kill, even in Iowa. Killing a 120-130” would be reasonably doable but I just wasn’t interested in that this past season. Who knows in 4 years my standards may change. That’s the beauty of hunting bucks. It’s a personal decision that can change by the season or even the day depending on what the circumstances are.


That makes sense. Wasn’t sure if what you saw this season would cause you to adjust your standards in the future.

I agree that a 120-130 is very do-able for a guy that knows how to hunt hills. But looking back on my hunts in Iowa this past season, I’m not sure my previous goal of a 150ish buck is that realistic on public, at least not on a consistent basis. I don’t mind eating a tag, but I don’t want to spend a season chasing a caliber of buck that doesn’t exist either. Seems like there are a good amount of 130” 8 pointers. Also seems like a lot of hunters leave disappointed.
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Re: DIY Iowa Public Fall 2021

Unread postby Tennhunter3 » Thu Jul 22, 2021 1:56 pm

Why do people want to go to Iowa?
Kentucky and Ohio have better bucks then Iowa does, more counties producing booners then Iowa does and cheaper tag cost.

Hype seems to change every few years.
We went from
Illinois growing up to Wisconsin to Iowa to Kentucky and now Ohio is the place to be for giant bucks.

Indiana would be their too if they managed their herd properly.

I just dont see the draw to Iowa it lost it's title 10 years ago
Never give up Freedom for imagined safety.
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Re: DIY Iowa Public Fall 2021

Unread postby Dewey » Thu Jul 22, 2021 5:24 pm

Primetime41 wrote:
Dewey wrote:
Primetime41 wrote:
Dewey wrote:
seazofcheeze wrote:
Dewey wrote:
Moose wrote:You have alot better odds with a confrontation with big bucks BUT you still have to know how to hunt them. Just because the opportunity is better doesn't mean it's a guarantee. All the hunting practices still apply.

Exactly. I hunted Iowa last season for almost 5 full weeks and ended up eating my tag due to holding out for something really special. I saw a few that met my criteria but it just didn’t work out. No shortage of effort on my part just certain circumstances prevented a shot. That’s hunting and there are no guarantees even in Iowa. I think a lot of guys head there thinking there are Booners hiding behind every tree. Hate to break it to everyone but even in Iowa they’re pretty darn hard to find there on public.


Just curious what your criteria was? I'd imagine in 5 weeks you had to see a few nice bucks, were your looking for a 150+, 160+, bigger?

160”+ I shot a good one there in 2016 so wasn’t afraid to really up my standards this time. Too be honest a solid 150” would have been tough to pass though especially later in rut. That’s a great buck even in Iowa.

This one for sure would have gotten an arrow. Never seen him while on stand.

Image


Just curious, all things being equal (zone, hunting time, etc.), what would your standards be if/when you draw your next IA tag?

Likely same as above. I’m not afraid to eat a tag. The opportunity is well worth the price of admission for me. Whopper bucks are there just not easy to kill, even in Iowa. Killing a 120-130” would be reasonably doable but I just wasn’t interested in that this past season. Who knows in 4 years my standards may change. That’s the beauty of hunting bucks. It’s a personal decision that can change by the season or even the day depending on what the circumstances are.


That makes sense. Wasn’t sure if what you saw this season would cause you to adjust your standards in the future.

I agree that a 120-130 is very do-able for a guy that knows how to hunt hills. But looking back on my hunts in Iowa this past season, I’m not sure my previous goal of a 150ish buck is that realistic on public, at least not on a consistent basis. I don’t mind eating a tag, but I don’t want to spend a season chasing a caliber of buck that doesn’t exist either. Seems like there are a good amount of 130” 8 pointers. Also seems like a lot of hunters leave disappointed.

I saw 3 bucks over 150” with one likely 170” so I don’t believe my standards were unrealistic for me. Like I said certain circumstances prevented shots but that’s how it goes. I found out Mike Wadell drew a tag last season and didn’t tag an Iowa buck so that just goes to show there are no guarantees even on primo private land.

My only regret was going back in January without taking into consideration how much late muzzy pressure there would be. It was one of the toughest weeks of bowhunting I ever experienced. I basically wasted a week of this coming seasons rut vacation for one last chance and never saw a single buck. In hindsight that wasn’t a real good idea.
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Re: DIY Iowa Public Fall 2021

Unread postby Moose » Thu Jul 22, 2021 10:51 pm

Dewey wrote:
Primetime41 wrote:
Dewey wrote:
Primetime41 wrote:
Dewey wrote:
seazofcheeze wrote:
Dewey wrote:
Moose wrote:You have alot better odds with a confrontation with big bucks BUT you still have to know how to hunt them. Just because the opportunity is better doesn't mean it's a guarantee. All the hunting practices still apply.

Exactly. I hunted Iowa last season for almost 5 full weeks and ended up eating my tag due to holding out for something really special. I saw a few that met my criteria but it just didn’t work out. No shortage of effort on my part just certain circumstances prevented a shot. That’s hunting and there are no guarantees even in Iowa. I think a lot of guys head there thinking there are Booners hiding behind every tree. Hate to break it to everyone but even in Iowa they’re pretty darn hard to find there on public.


Just curious what your criteria was? I'd imagine in 5 weeks you had to see a few nice bucks, were your looking for a 150+, 160+, bigger?

160”+ I shot a good one there in 2016 so wasn’t afraid to really up my standards this time. Too be honest a solid 150” would have been tough to pass though especially later in rut. That’s a great buck even in Iowa.

This one for sure would have gotten an arrow. Never seen him while on stand.

Image


Just curious, all things being equal (zone, hunting time, etc.), what would your standards be if/when you draw your next IA tag?

Likely same as above. I’m not afraid to eat a tag. The opportunity is well worth the price of admission for me. Whopper bucks are there just not easy to kill, even in Iowa. Killing a 120-130” would be reasonably doable but I just wasn’t interested in that this past season. Who knows in 4 years my standards may change. That’s the beauty of hunting bucks. It’s a personal decision that can change by the season or even the day depending on what the circumstances are.


That makes sense. Wasn’t sure if what you saw this season would cause you to adjust your standards in the future.

I agree that a 120-130 is very do-able for a guy that knows how to hunt hills. But looking back on my hunts in Iowa this past season, I’m not sure my previous goal of a 150ish buck is that realistic on public, at least not on a consistent basis. I don’t mind eating a tag, but I don’t want to spend a season chasing a caliber of buck that doesn’t exist either. Seems like there are a good amount of 130” 8 pointers. Also seems like a lot of hunters leave disappointed.

I saw 3 bucks over 150” with one likely 170” so I don’t believe my standards were unrealistic for me. Like I said certain circumstances prevented shots but that’s how it goes. I found out Mike Wadell drew a tag last season and didn’t tag an Iowa buck so that just goes to show there are no guarantees even on primo private land.

My only regret was going back in January without taking into consideration how much late muzzy pressure there would be. It was one of the toughest weeks of bowhunting I ever experienced. I basically wasted a week of this coming seasons rut vacation for one last chance and never saw a single buck. In hindsight that wasn’t a real good idea.

First season shotgun usually starts in the first week of December so starting then there's alot of group hunting and they take alot of deer. Some groups only shoot bucks. If your bowhunting I highly recommend coming before December for your best odds with a bow. Iowa unfortunately doesn't have much public ground compared to other states due to all the farms. It's very possible to hunt private ground if you ask. Farmers absolutely hate deer.
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Re: DIY Iowa Public Fall 2021

Unread postby hokiehunter373 » Fri Jul 23, 2021 6:24 am

Dewey wrote:
Primetime41 wrote:
Dewey wrote:
Primetime41 wrote:
Dewey wrote:
seazofcheeze wrote:
Dewey wrote:
Moose wrote:You have alot better odds with a confrontation with big bucks BUT you still have to know how to hunt them. Just because the opportunity is better doesn't mean it's a guarantee. All the hunting practices still apply.

Exactly. I hunted Iowa last season for almost 5 full weeks and ended up eating my tag due to holding out for something really special. I saw a few that met my criteria but it just didn’t work out. No shortage of effort on my part just certain circumstances prevented a shot. That’s hunting and there are no guarantees even in Iowa. I think a lot of guys head there thinking there are Booners hiding behind every tree. Hate to break it to everyone but even in Iowa they’re pretty darn hard to find there on public.


Just curious what your criteria was? I'd imagine in 5 weeks you had to see a few nice bucks, were your looking for a 150+, 160+, bigger?

160”+ I shot a good one there in 2016 so wasn’t afraid to really up my standards this time. Too be honest a solid 150” would have been tough to pass though especially later in rut. That’s a great buck even in Iowa.

This one for sure would have gotten an arrow. Never seen him while on stand.

Image


Just curious, all things being equal (zone, hunting time, etc.), what would your standards be if/when you draw your next IA tag?

Likely same as above. I’m not afraid to eat a tag. The opportunity is well worth the price of admission for me. Whopper bucks are there just not easy to kill, even in Iowa. Killing a 120-130” would be reasonably doable but I just wasn’t interested in that this past season. Who knows in 4 years my standards may change. That’s the beauty of hunting bucks. It’s a personal decision that can change by the season or even the day depending on what the circumstances are.


That makes sense. Wasn’t sure if what you saw this season would cause you to adjust your standards in the future.

I agree that a 120-130 is very do-able for a guy that knows how to hunt hills. But looking back on my hunts in Iowa this past season, I’m not sure my previous goal of a 150ish buck is that realistic on public, at least not on a consistent basis. I don’t mind eating a tag, but I don’t want to spend a season chasing a caliber of buck that doesn’t exist either. Seems like there are a good amount of 130” 8 pointers. Also seems like a lot of hunters leave disappointed.

I saw 3 bucks over 150” with one likely 170” so I don’t believe my standards were unrealistic for me. Like I said certain circumstances prevented shots but that’s how it goes. I found out Mike Wadell drew a tag last season and didn’t tag an Iowa buck so that just goes to show there are no guarantees even on primo private land.

My only regret was going back in January without taking into consideration how much late muzzy pressure there would be. It was one of the toughest weeks of bowhunting I ever experienced. I basically wasted a week of this coming seasons rut vacation for one last chance and never saw a single buck. In hindsight that wasn’t a real good idea.


How many 130"+ deer did you pass?
Get me in the woods


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