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.

 

[Ehlusive]

I drew again finally, we are going public route.

 

[bowhunter2598]

In my opinion it depends on the time you have available during season and if you want to spend time learning/doing work on a leased property. Outfitters will have plots, stands, blinds, etc set for you versus you'll be on your own to do all of that in a lease situation. Depends on what kind of hunting you want to do.

 

[FLS]

I was in a lease in SW IA for a decade. Went from hunting every second or third year to every 5th or sixth. We were on a rotation where one or two of us got to hunt each year. One of our members had family in the area. If you don’t have a local connection rest assured your lease will get hunted when you aren’t there. Especially 1st and 2nd gun. That said I paid less per acre to hunt IA than I do in SC. Unless it was a really nice piece of property I would pay an outfitter.

 

[Boarmaster]

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.

This, theres a lot of reasons other than not having any game on them that leases come available. I been hunting on leases since 1986. I have had 4 different leases in two states. Every one we secured after the guys before us aged out or just got bored with it. Everyone of the leases were full of game. Not saying that some may be marginal. It good or not. Same with public. I have hunted some public that was great.
Doubtful I will ever hunt whitetail with an outfitter. But I respect everyone has their own situation and experiences.

 

[fulldraw1972]

I would join in on a lease with you but I only have 3 points and if it was me I wouldn’t be burning 6 points on a unit I could draw with 3.
You have to answer these questions to yourself.
How lunch time can I give to the hunt? How much time can I give to scouting?

Me personally I would want to scout at least one if not two weekends in the spring and then set aside 2 weeks + for the hunt with a lease and or public land hunt.

 

[kybuck1]

So many variables to consider. Prob the biggest is how much you have to spend and how much time you have.
I'm limited so I'm doing a semi guided type deal this year. The normal rotation of hunters got messed up for this person so he had open spots and still lease payments to make so we jumped in and give it a whirl. Chunk of change yes, but I get camera pics, food plots done, stands pre hung etc so I can just show up and hunt. That is best for me personally.
Always luck involved but a good situation/outfit can make the experience so much better.
Most good places are already booked and rebooked, farms re-leased if good, lots of outfitters run people through shooting 3 yo deer and 10 plus at camp at any given time.
Public has some appeal but in the end stresses me out with the distance scouting, etc and the potential for other hunters impacting my same farm/space.

 

[Hjswal]

Lease is a better option IMO if you have the money but can be hard to come by. Certain areas of Iowa you can find fantastic ground on public that has really low pressure.

 

[Pafarm]

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.

This had me belly laughing. They probate cleared out the little ones so its more prime to who gets the lease

 

[Pafarm]

If you have the time id go the lease route and learn the land + how the deer use it. If you only have 7 days of vacation go with outfitter. I also think it depends what you're looking for. I'm just not an outfitter guy I like earning it more than being told sit here go there ect. Flip side of the coin is you waited a long time you want a chance at a nice deer. Start with lease then go outfitter imo.

 

[Fire_Medic890]

Great thread! I currently have 5 points and have hunted the southeast my entire life. Have always dreamed to hunt Iowa. I will be going with an outfitter simply because it takes year to get a NR Tag.
Lot of outfitters out there and picking through them has been a hassle. Still unsure which one to go with.
I’ve heard a lot of horror stories about outfitters so trying not to be the next one.

 

[BigDuckHunter]

It’s hard for me to imagine why anyone would hunt with an outfitter in Iowa (being from there). I’ve heard so many horror stories (several of them from the “outfitters” themselves) of guys being put in stands that had already been hunted hard before they got there, hunting right on top of other guys, or even getting put in stands on property the outfitter didn’t even have permission to be on. I think there’s just so many guys trying to make a buck without actually earning it.

I know there are some really good guides out there that offer high odds of shooting a decent sized buck, but 2 things would keep me from going that route. 1: Those guys are probably already booked up years in advance (and wayyy more expensive than the rest) because they have that reputation. 2: What kind of experience is it if you’re paying someone to plant food plots, hang stands, hang cameras, scout, and tell you where to sit. All you’re doing at that point is pulling the trigger and mounting a big deer. The experience for the hunter is really no different than a high-fenced hunt.

I know a lot of guys that own land and lot of guys that lease. They all seem pretty happy with their choice. I also know a few who have paid for outfitted hunts and none of them seemed happy with their choice when it was all said and done.

 

[Fire_Medic890]

It’s hard for me to imagine why anyone would hunt with an outfitter in Iowa (being from there). I’ve heard so many horror stories (several of them from the “outfitters” themselves) of guys being put in stands that had already been hunted hard before they got there, hunting right on top of other guys, or even getting put in stands on property the outfitter didn’t even have permission to be on. I think there’s just so many guys trying to make a buck without actually earning it.

I know there are some really good guides out there that offer high odds of shooting a decent sized buck, but 2 things would keep me from going that route. 1: Those guys are probably already booked up years in advance (and wayyy more expensive than the rest) because they have that reputation. 2: What kind of experience is it if you’re paying someone to plant food plots, hang stands, hang cameras, scout, and tell you where to sit. All you’re doing at that point is pulling the trigger and mounting a big deer. The experience for the hunter is really no different than a high-fenced hunt.

I know a lot of guys that own land and lot of guys that lease. They all seem pretty happy with their choice. I also know a few who have paid for outfitted hunts and none of them seemed happy with their choice when it was all said and done.

Do you happen to know of a good outfitter in Iowa? Don’t mind waiting for a spot or even paying more to go with a reputable one.

Or does anyone know of a reputable outfitter?

 

[fulldraw1972]

If I were to go with an outfitter in Iowa the guy to use would be Steve Hanson.

 

[AlphaK9]

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.

This guy said it all- as an IA resident I can concur.