2024 Iowa Draw

[hoosierhunter11]

No but I think the ban on party hunting might make the firearms tags creep a little.

I agree with that.

I can see a scenario where NRs lose the gumption to want to hunt Iowa without their beloved trail cameras. Maybe wishful thinking...

 

[307BigGame]

No but I think the ban on party hunting might make the firearms tags creep a little.

100% It'll make point creep go way up now just like 90/10 did in Wyoming for NR. Glad they're putting their Resident hunter's ahead of Non-Residents though, good on them! People used that loophole forever. I remember when I could buy a NR leftover tag for most zones now it's up to 2-6 points for most.

 

[Del Gue]

I drew a Zone 6 archery tag. It took me 5 NR pref pts.

 

[BA-IV]

You planning on private, public, or an outfitter?

 

[Del Gue]

You planning on private, public, or an outfitter?

Private.
I have a buddy who graciously invites me to hunt his property.

 

[bojangles808]

has anyone here done non res diy iowa rifle? I started applying couple years ago for the allure of diy archery rut on public land. unfortunately have a slight tear and impingement in my shoulder and had to quit archery since i started applying. yes I have tried everything : ( Dont see much about diy public rifle assuming it's bc its really cold? or really crowded?. Debating whether pivoting to that is worth it. it does look like less points though but assuming maybe that's bc it's not as good a hunt?. or I might possibly look into getting a crossbow exemption but not sure i want to go that route just yet or even if it's realistic. Or maybe getting a muzzleloader is a better option? Any insight appreciated about what you would do.

 

[ZeeBo]

I've hunted the late muzzleloader season on Iowa public land twice. I think I saw one other hunter between the two years. I also went after January 1st so maybe everyone else was burned out. Got a 8 point my first year and messed up on a big 10 the second so there are still deer around.

 

[Outlaw99]

Unless you’re just set on archery or getting lucky enough to time your hunt for the peak of the seeking phase of the rut, I’d much rather burn points and take my chances during late muzzleloader season.

Whether EHD happens this year or not, areas affected by it recently will take years to recover from from both a population standpoint, but also trophy wise. It also takes out the biggest age class bucks first and once it happens, it takes a long time to get those genetics and size back.

We first dealt with it in, 12, then again in 22 and 23, and our zone is a distant memory of what it was before EHD first arrived. This is zone 3 time talking about

 

[ChasinTails27]

I drew zone 5 with 5 points. Two of us going together

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

has anyone here done non res diy iowa rifle? I started applying couple years ago for the allure of diy archery rut on public land. unfortunately have a slight tear and impingement in my shoulder and had to quit archery since i started applying. yes I have tried everything : ( Dont see much about diy public rifle assuming it's bc its really cold? or really crowded?. Debating whether pivoting to that is worth it. it does look like less points though but assuming maybe that's bc it's not as good a hunt?. or I might possibly look into getting a crossbow exemption but not sure i want to go that route just yet or even if it's realistic. Or maybe getting a muzzleloader is a better option? Any insight appreciated about what you would do.

I had a SLAP tear with significant impingement repaired in my right shoulder in 2019. I'm a LH archer, so this was my brace arm. I applied for and received a lifetime exemption and can legally use a crossbow.

I've killed a few bucks with the xbow now, but I'm thinking about working back into my compound for 2025. There are certainly advantages with the xbow, but I find practicing and shooting it a PIA, and its quite awkward to carry a mile in to my closest stand location. It's also awkward to hunt with out of a single portable or ladder stand. Granted, I went with a Carbon Xpress ready to hunt combo for like $400, but I can't see much improvement on these complaints for the others out there. I also wasn't going to spend more than $600 for a weapon that only shoots <100 yards. My goodness, there are guys around here with xbows that cost over $2k, and I could fully outfit a semi-custom Tikka for that much. Just silly IMO.

If you're coming to Iowa in pursuit of a trophy, and you can't party hunt, IME the odds are best during the last 2 weeks of October and during late season with a muzzleloader or bow. Guys absolutely kill giants during the rut, but it can be feast or famine. If you coming to have the best experience and that means just seeing tons of deer rutting around going crazy, I would come the first two weeks of November.

Good luck to all the NRs applying in Iowa!

 

[bojangles808]

I had a SLAP tear with significant impingement repaired in my right shoulder in 2019. I'm a LH archer, so this was my brace arm. I applied for and received a lifetime exemption and can legally use a crossbow.

I've killed a few bucks with the xbow now, but I'm thinking about working back into my compound for 2025. There are certainly advantages with the xbow, but I find practicing and shooting it a PIA, and its quite awkward to carry a mile in to my closest stand location. It's also awkward to hunt with out of a single portable or ladder stand. Granted, I went with a Carbon Xpress ready to hunt combo for like $400, but I can't see much improvement on these complaints for the others out there. I also wasn't going to spend more than $600 for a weapon that only shoots <100 yards. My goodness, there are guys around here with xbows that cost over $2k, and I could fully outfit a semi-custom Tikka for that much. Just silly IMO.

If you're coming to Iowa in pursuit of a trophy, and you can't party hunt, IME the odds are best during the last 2 weeks of October and during late season with a muzzleloader or bow. Guys absolutely kill giants during the rut, but it can be feast or famine. If you coming to have the best experience and that means just seeing tons of deer rutting around going crazy, I would come the first two weeks of November.

Good luck to all the NRs applying in Iowa!

thank you thats very helpful. I have impingement and a superspinatis tear so possibly could get an exemption but i think muzzleloader probably more realistic. I'm a special ed teacher so taking off during the fall is hard. The late ML is right in line with my winter break. Probably more realistic.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

thank you thats very helpful. I have impingement and a superspinatis tear so possibly could get an exemption but i think muzzleloader probably more realistic. I'm a special ed teacher so taking off during the fall is hard. The late ML is right in line with my winter break. Probably more realistic.

Roger that man, and thank you for helping out the kids that need a little extra help. In Iowa that's probably the most challenging teaching position there is these days.

Late muzzleloader is an excellent time hunt and kill a good whitetail buck. The 2 keys are food and weather. The colder and nastier and snowier the better the hunting. Parlay terrible weather with a good food source and bucks may be more patternable during late season than any other time of the year. Standing row crop is a magnet for post-rut bucks and corn, beans, and sorghum are all excellent. If you can find food that isn't available on neighboring farms, for example, the surrounding farms all have corn or sorghum and your farm has beans, you may be in for a truly awesome hunt.

 

[Bcon]

has anyone here done non res diy iowa rifle? I started applying couple years ago for the allure of diy archery rut on public land. unfortunately have a slight tear and impingement in my shoulder and had to quit archery since i started applying. yes I have tried everything : ( Dont see much about diy public rifle assuming it's bc its really cold? or really crowded?. Debating whether pivoting to that is worth it. it does look like less points though but assuming maybe that's bc it's not as good a hunt?. or I might possibly look into getting a crossbow exemption but not sure i want to go that route just yet or even if it's realistic. Or maybe getting a muzzleloader is a better option? Any insight appreciated about what you would do.

I know there are some rifle hunting that can be done "straight wall" I believe, and some southern tier counties have rifle season I believe for antler less, but Iowa does slug guns, so need to check out the regulations if you have not already done so. I personally don't hunt the shotgun season, but wanted to mention it.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

I know there are some rifle hunting that can be done "straight wall" I believe, and some southern tier counties have rifle season I believe for antler less, but Iowa does slug guns, so need to check out the regulations if you have not already done so. I personally don't hunt the shotgun season, but wanted to mention it.

All straight walls .357 and larger (.357 mag, .44 mag, 45-70, .444, 41., 450 Bushmaster, 350 Legend, etc...) diameter are legal during gun 1 and gun 2 seasons. In addition, centerfire bottleneck cartridges from .35 cal and larger (.358 Win., .35 Whelen, etc...) are also leagal during gun 1 and gun 2.

Centerfires .224 and larger are only legal in the bottom two tiers of counties during special antlerless seasons in January to my knowledge. I'm not sure if these seasons are open to NR either, so make sure to doublecheck the regs.

 

[Bgusty]

Dang. Didn’t realize it took that many points to get a NR tag. Thought it might be a couple years kind of thing. Really need to start buying points next year.


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[timekiller13]

Points only for me this year.

Spent the last 2 years doing the late muzzleloader hunt. That’s a fun hunt and I’ve gotten to know that Zone very well now. My plan is archery hunt that area in a few years and then will go back to late muzzy hunting.