Iowa Archery Whitetails Zone 5

[Iowa.guy.7mmMag]

Looking to put a group of 4 together for a November 2026 Archery Hunt. DM me if you want more information - Iowa lottery closes at the end of May. You'll need 6 points to pull this tag.

 

[NoMiBowhunter]

Looking to put a group of 4 together for a November 2026 Archery Hunt. DM me if you want more information - Iowa lottery closes at the end of May. You'll need 6 points to pull this tag.

Good luck! My group of 4 (Brother and cousins) are from Michigan and we have 6 points but we might are going to wait another year before drawing. (Unfortunately my wife's cancer has returned and our focus is on treating that so decided to just put in for another point this year.) We will be hunting Zone 5 as well and have gone out and scouted every spring since 2020 so we feel like we have a pretty good idea of the areas we want to hunt.

 

[hoosierhunter11]

I'll be purchasing my 4th preference point this year. Can't wait to get out there in in 2028 or 2029!

 

[Iowa.guy.7mmMag]

Good luck! My group of 4 (Brother and cousins) are from Michigan and we have 6 points but we might are going to wait another year before drawing. (Unfortunately my wife's cancer has returned and our focus is on treating that so decided to just put in for another point this year.) We will be hunting Zone 5 as well and have gone out and scouted every spring since 2020 so we feel like we have a pretty good idea of the areas we want to hunt.

It's nice to hunt with a group especially family and you're doing it right - if you can come and scout at least the 2 or 3 years before you hunt, you're going to be miles ahead and have 20 spots picked out.

Sorry to hear about the wife - your focus is on the correct deal.

Get another point and it will be a for sure deal next year - Let me know if you need any help I live on Rathbun Lake.

 

[Iowa.guy.7mmMag]

I'll be purchasing my 4th preference point this year. Can't wait to get out there in in 2028 or 2029!

It'll be here before you know it like I said above start coming and scouting once a year and it will be easier when you get to your hunt year.

If you need a place to hunt in Iowa or Kansas DM me and maybe I can help.

Get a Kansas point before that draw closes on the 24th. We hunt down there too.

 

[NoMiBowhunter]

It's nice to hunt with a group especially family and you're doing it right - if you can come and scout at least the 2 or 3 years before you hunt, you're going to be miles ahead and have 20 spots picked out.

Sorry to hear about the wife - your focus is on the correct deal.

Get another point and it will be a for sure deal next year - Let me know if you need any help I live on Rathbun Lake.

Thank you. Yes, my wife is my main focus as Iowa will always be there. A couple of our spots are near Rathbun so once I have enough posts to DM I will reach out. I have found all of the people I have met from Iowa are very friendly and helpful. We have some world class smallmouth fishing in my back yard so if you ever find yourself up this way let me know and I can help you out with that.

 

[Iowa.guy.7mmMag]

Tomorrow is the day. Iowa lottery is open the first Saturday of May and closes the first Sunday in June.

It will take 6 points to be guaranteed to draw a Zone 5 tag this year. I remember when it was 2.

Maybe we could increase the non-resident tag pool - that 560 bow tags has not moved since I started hunting Iowa a long time ago as a non-resident.

 

[fulldraw1972]

I am doing another point this year.
After this year I will be at 4 points.
Thinking about holding out for zone 5 and then after I draw that zone look closer st a couple other units that take a lot less points.

 

[NoMiBowhunter]

I’m doing another point too. I have 6 now but want to wait another year to draw.

 

[ridgerunnerrron]

Same here...I have 6 now, but waiting another year since have a lot going on this year.

 

[TheBaileyForest]

I live in SE Iowa couldn't even tell you what zone that is reading the comments I wish I could say I'm surprised it takes that long to draw a tag but I'm not I used to have around 4000 acres of permission ground from a lot of different landowners only have 1 place left that's not family land

 

[Iowa.guy.7mmMag]

I used to have a bunch of ground in Zone 5 Iowa to hunt with just permission and I'm hunting in Nebraska where I still have permission to hunt on alot of ground but in Iowa if you aren't leasing ground you're probably not going to be hunting much which is sad but that's the way it is now - all the landowners know how much everyone else is getting and there is hardly any good ground around that isn't leased and if you want to hunt the better ground you're going to pay through the nose for it.

It's the same in alot of places so I try to not let it bother me - now you just have to put some guys together and pull some money out - I've been doing this now for well over 20 years and I'd still rather lease then go hunt on an 5500.00 outfitted hunt where you have 3 weeks of guys hunting before you and they give you 5 days to get it done that's a rip. It can easily take longer than 5 days. I shot alot of mature bucks on day 5 - 10.

Good luck out there !!!

 

[Iowa.guy.7mmMag]

Here's a couple I'll be after this year in Iowa this was last year's pic's so hopefully they make a big jump any one of these will do with another year of growth - It'll be here before you know it.

 

[Iowa.guy.7mmMag]

Good ole Stickers. Stickers will get you shot lol.

 

[Iowa.guy.7mmMag]

Big Ten

 

[Iowa.guy.7mmMag]

Giant with splits I seen this buck once last year in the daylight around Nov. 13th then seen him again in January and that's it, but it looks like he made it through the season since it was January 20th when I was coyote hunting when I seen him. Fingers crossed - he's going to be a Holy Moly when he steps out this year.

Same camera as the one up a few posts - I have a stand literately 10 yards behind this camera.

 

[TheBaileyForest]

I used to have a bunch of ground in Zone 5 Iowa to hunt with just permission and I'm hunting in Nebraska where I still have permission to hunt on alot of ground but in Iowa if you aren't leasing ground you're probably not going to be hunting much which is sad but that's the way it is now - all the landowners know how much everyone else is getting and there is hardly any good ground around that isn't leased and if you want to hunt the better ground you're going to pay through the nose for it.

It's the same in alot of places so I try to not let it bother me - now you just have to put some guys together and pull some money out - I've been doing this now for well over 20 years and I'd still rather lease then go hunt on an 5500.00 outfitted hunt where you have 3 weeks of guys hunting before you and they give you 5 days to get it done that's a rip. It can easily take longer than 5 days. I shot alot of mature bucks on day 5 - 10.

Good luck out there !!!

ISU now puts out prices for hunting leases in their annual land rent surveys I’m sure that’s not helping

 

[fulldraw1972]

I live in SE Iowa couldn't even tell you what zone that is reading the comments I wish I could say I'm surprised it takes that long to draw a tag but I'm not I used to have around 4000 acres of permission ground from a lot of different landowners only have 1 place left that's not family land

if I was still an Iowa resident I would be great full the state has a guy like Skip Sligh fighting for resident hunters.
One of the recent big wins for the state of Iowa was stopping non resident party hunting.
Hopefully the state will never give out non resident land owner tags. If they do you will see even more non residents buying up land.
I would be curious to know how the resident and non resident numbers shake out with who is leasing ground. As a non resident I would only lease the ground the year I have a tag.
When I do draw in a few years I will be hunting public ground unless a good piece of permission fell into my lap.