Iowa Tag- outfit or lease?

[TheArdentOutdoorsman]

After many years, ive got 6 Iowa points and look to head there in 2026. I dont think waiting 6 years and throwing dice into spending my time on public land is a great option. A reputable outfitter is a clear cut choice however I want the ability to hunt at least 7 days and not spend 5k+ to do so. Getting a lease seems like the best option as I could hunt how I want and hunt as many days as I can. Convince me why I should do one over the other or share your experience when you drew IA and what you would do differently.

Side note: if anyone drawing in 2026 is interested in having a conversation about splitting a lease, im all ears.

 

[Yooper906]

Lease or public, nothing against the outfitters. But when I draw Iowa tags, I make it that years trip because those tags don’t come around very often. Granted I hunt a few permission farms that I’ve gained access over the last years.

Depending on what zone you’re going after (with that many points I can guess,) you’ll have next spring to start scouting some areas. I have a good friend that never ran into anyone on public in IA for 14 days. All the pressure was 1/4 mile from the truck.

I use basecamp leasing to find leases in the midwest. I will find the leasing agent in the area I am interested in and start a rapport with them. If you play your cards right, the agent might tip you off on a property that will be becoming available. I’ve seen some decent leases in IA that become available every so often.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Assuming your bow hunting, if you realistically have more than 7 non-consecutive days to burn, then a 1 year lease may be a better option.

IME (resident with 30 years on the ground) the most predictable days to see and potentially shoot a mature buck with a bow are the last 10 days of October. During this time they tend to still be in pre-rut bed-feed patterns. Afterwards, during the first 10 days of November you will likely see a ton of bucks, and can definitely kill a good one during the peak of the rut but they're less predictable and can come from anywhere. This can be a blessing or a curse depending on how lucky you are. The last 10 days of November can also be very good, and I've killed 2 of my best deer after 11/17.

Late season can be the best time of the season to kill a whopper, but it really depends on getting a ton of cold and snow and having a good standing food source (soybeans preferably). The worse the weather the better the hunting, but then you run into challenges getting a mature deer in bow range.

Best of luck to you, and if you aren't certain you can get those extra days off, you should still consider an outfitted hunt. These guys scout all year long and will dramatically increase your odds of killing a good buck, especially after waiting 6 years.

 

[TSAMP]

I think most people try to go the lease route, then the outfitter route. Id go outfitter before lease. There's a reason that lease is available and its not because they got arthritis from all the grip and grins they take.

If I was coming from out of state id hit the public. It isnt that bad.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

I think most people try to go the lease route, then the outfitter route. Id go outfitter before lease. There's a reason that lease is available and its not because they got arthritis from all the grip and grins they take.

If I was coming from out of state id hit the public. It isnt that bad.

Depending on the part of the state, I agree public can be good during bow season. I would avoid public around Des Moines, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Cedar Falls, and Waterloo unless you're in one of the larger tracts as it's too short a drive from the major metro areas and resident hunters.

 

[Yooper906]

I think most people try to go the lease route, then the outfitter route. Id go outfitter before lease. There's a reason that lease is available and its not because they got arthritis from all the grip and grins they take.

If I was coming from out of state id hit the public. It isnt that bad.

I would typically agree with you if it were any other state, as to why the lease became available.

But with the amount of years it takes a NR to draw a IA (archery) tag, I think most guys won’t pay for a lease for five years and never hunt it, just to keep that lease for one year of hunting. I see a lot of Iowa leases get turned over yearly because the leasee won’t hunt it again for another six years. I could be wrong, but I think IA is different in that regards.

Also, I found a lease in Wisconsin that “became available,” and I was skeptical. But after talking with the farmer, he just acquired that property and I took a gamble on his word. It has paid off big time, but maybe I got lucky.