Iowa.

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

i honestly dont care to blast or not. i have the same theory acrossed all sectors of my life.

lets look at it this way. EVERY football coach in the NFL knows EVERYTHING about tom brady...yet the man has gone on to win a record amount of superbowls.

i have 0 problem telling anyone anything. mainly because most at the end of the day either dont have the marbles, cant stomach x, no cojones, risk-reward factor, etc etc etc, that im not concerned.

coyotes know deer better than you or i, so im far less worried about you, than i am about wiley out there screwing something up.

Agree 100%

Coyote impacts on hunting are very interesting. From all the research stuides I've read, if you want to maximize deer production on a property you need to kill as many coyotes EVERY YEAR possible. They are so prevalent in IA that when you kill one it is almost immediately replaced by another roving indidividual. As a result, if you hope to make a dent in the population you have to manage them all 12 months of the year.

Conversely, and counterintuitively, if you want to maximize pheasant production on a property, the research supports not killing any coyotes. This is due to the fact that they prey on and otherwise harrasse the terrestrial predators that are no longer trapped effectively re: nest robbing skunks, raccoons, possums, and foxes. Sure they will eat a pheasant now and then, but demonstrate little to no long term pheasant impact. There are several studies out there to support this including a large one in SD that focused on waterfowl populations.

 

[Trackerbacker]

Agree 100%

Coyote impacts on hunting are very interesting. From all the research stuides I've read, if you want to maximize deer production on a property you need to kill as many coyotes EVERY YEAR possible. They are so prevalent in IA that when you kill one it is almost immediately replaced by another roving indidividual. As a result, if you hope to make a dent in the population you have to manage them all 12 months of the year.

Conversely, and counterintuitively, if you want to maximize pheasant production on a property, the research supports not killing any coyotes. This is due to the fact that they prey on and otherwise harrasse the terrestrial predators that are no longer trapped effectively re: nest robbing skunks, raccoons, possums, and foxes. Sure they will eat a pheasant now and then, but demonstrate little to no long term pheasant impact. There are several studies out there to support this including a large one in SD that focused on waterfowl populations.

100% accurate.

HOw DarE U giv AWaY SUperDeEduPEr SeCRetS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111111111111111111111111ONEONEONEONEONEONE

 

[TSAMP]

ok.

zone 8/9 iowa. that will prevent lazy hunters from going deep. its bluff country. strap on some boots, pack for overnights. you will beat the crowds, be in place faster and quieter than the lazy hunters, with more energy, deeper in, where the deer feel safe and comfortable.

look for drainages, ravines, pocket fields, bluffs and cover.

They aren't secrets you are correct. We are all in awe of your hunting prowess and generosity.

Please continue. I'll help too,
Walk the railroad tracks to get deep!

 

[Trackerbacker]

They aren't secrets you are correct. We are all in awe of your hunting prowess and generosity.

Please continue. I'll help too,
Walk the railroad tracks to get deep!

not a fan of tresspassing. you do you.

if you want to be stodgy, go ahead. i dont see a need to be. im also not an antler hunter, so dont forget to amend your statement to the following:

"We are all in awe of your hunting prowess, altruistic nature and generosity."

try harder next time.

 

[Mturney]

This thread has been a fun read mostly for the sidetrack conversations. My question on is how much foreign investment are you seeing there in Iowa?

 

[Trackerbacker]

This thread has been a fun read mostly for the sidetrack conversations. My question on is how much foreign investment are you seeing there in Iowa?

foreign as in out of country for real estate? or foreign as in missourians?

 

[Mturney]

I was thinking out of country specifically. The county I grew up in in Oklahoma saw a huge influx of chinese money paying 2-3x an acre over what the going rate was at the time. It totally destroyed the chance of a normal person owning any land because now that was the going rate and no one would except less. It has since backed off a little bit because the people that didnt sell out and stayed around wont sell to foreign money no matter what but it will never be like it was. I also spent a few years close to the Kansas line and that is foreign for sure.

 

[Trackerbacker]

I was thinking out of country specifically. The county I grew up in in Oklahoma saw a huge influx of chinese money paying 2-3x an acre over what the going rate was at the time. It totally destroyed the chance of a normal person owning any land because now that was the going rate and no one would except less. It has since backed off a little bit because the people that didnt sell out and stayed around wont sell to foreign money no matter what but it will never be like it was. I also spent a few years close to the Kansas line and that is foreign for sure.

i cant speak to all areas, but spending a grand majority of the past decade in central iowa, there were several properties 100ac+ that were more or less on the edge of say 5 years growth ring that were being swept up from folks from/with asian names.

I have consulted on several parcels that were wholesaled out as the strategy was designed. I cant say either way, only anecdotally, that that was the objective.

 

[Thomas11]

I live in Mobile. Almost as far as it gets

I’m in Saraland. I’m looking at going next yr. PM me if you’d like. We can discuss

 

[KM5019]

Agree with @Trackerbacker on the geography/topography differences between Eastern IA and Western IA. Even more important is the difference in pressure. Probably 2/3s of the population in IA lives in the eastern half of the state. In addition, most of the largest/popular public areas are in the eastern half as well. That being said, the Midwest Whitetail and Hunting Public guys manage to find good bucks in zone 5 and other areas in that part of the state on a consistent basis.

Given the amount of pressure and general lack of public hunting in Iowa, if you're going DIY and want the opportunity for a mature buck in the 125-150" range, IMO/IME late season muzzleloader is your best bet. This is especially true in really hard winter years, which this one is shaping up to be so far (forecasting -37 and -35 windchills on Th and Fr this week). Snow and frigid temps make eating the number 1 priority for post rut bucks. They cannot avoid it and don't have the luxury of eating whenever its convenient. I'd bet any amount of money that by the weekend (if not sooner) guys' food plots will have deer hammering them starting early afternoon (2p or sooner) from here on out now that second shotgun is over. Especially any standing crops. When it's frigid, the deer also change their bedding patterns. For example, those deer that are willing to travel a mile or more to preferred feed can and often due stay much closer if there is available cover. Brushy wooly fence rows (wild plums, horse weeds, etc...) and draws that cut the wind that are adjacent to quality feed can hold a ton of deer when the weather gets nasty.

I'm a bowhunter and gun hunter, and love the action of the rut. However, if I'm focusing on a trophy buck, IME, you have the best odds late due to the ability to pattern their behavior more consistently. The colder and nastier the weather the better during late season, and if you prepare for it, you definitely have an advantage. If you go this route though, make sure to bank extra time for scouting. It may take several evenings of glassing ag fields at a distance to find a buck your after and then to build a strategy around movements. Don't forget, by this time of the season, deer have been hunted for 3 months and are leery, especially those old magnum does. Their heads are always on a swivel, and they are much less tolerant of minor mistakes with the wind or movement.

Great post. I’m looking to hit Iowa for the first time next year. I have been getting PPs for a couple of years with the intentions of applying as part of a group for a ML hunt the last week of the year. With my boys now out of state and only home for holidays I need to go to plan B and might just head out myself for 2nd shotgun. I’m interested to hear more what that second season is like. As you mentioned it sounds like there is a lot of pressure. I’m interested to hear more about how bad the pressure is on public land and any recommendations you may have on how to be successful that season. Thanks

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Great post. I’m looking to hit Iowa for the first time next year. I have been getting PPs for a couple of years with the intentions of applying as part of a group for a ML hunt the last week of the year. With my boys now out of state and only home for holidays I need to go to plan B and might just head out myself for 2nd shotgun. I’m interested to hear more what that second season is like. As you mentioned it sounds like there is a lot of pressure. I’m interested to hear more about how bad the pressure is on public land and any recommendations you may have on how to be successful that season. Thanks

Generally speaking, second season pressure is usually significantly less than first season. However, it can vary dramatically in different areas depending on traditions, weather conditions, etc... That being said, if you come and avoid the weekends, you will see far less people during both seasons.

If you're hunting solo on public during either of Iowa's gun seasons, first and foremost I would make sure you are VERY visible to other hunters. Full orange coat and hat at a minimum if it were me. I would also do as much escouting as possible and try to identify likely escape routes. Draws that extend out into ag and security cover near private boundaries can be good. When hunting these spots, it's crucial that you are the first truck in the parking lot and you're in position early. Use the pressure to your advantage and hunt the fringes and escape routes and you may do well. Once you narrow the unit/public area you plan to hunt, try to visit in March to scout for previous years' sign and confirm your escouting.

Whitetails are creatures of habit, and if you can find established rub lines, you'll be able to tell the ones that are used every year. The sign post rubs that get hit every season are usually pretty obvious, and you can generally develop a strategy around these lines and how they relate to bedding and feeding areas. One good approach is to locate transition areas between feed and bed that have linear rub lines between them. Connect the dots so to speak and find a spot to sit with a faovrable wind and put in the time.

 

[Trackerbacker]

Generally speaking, second season pressure is usually significantly less than first season. However, it can vary dramatically in different areas depending on traditions, weather conditions, etc... That being said, if you come and avoid the weekends, you will see far less people during both seasons.

If you're hunting solo on public during either of Iowa's gun seasons, first and foremost I would make sure you are VERY visible to other hunters. Full orange coat and hat at a minimum if it were me. I would also do as much escouting as possible and try to identify likely escape routes. Draws that extend out into ag and security cover near private boundaries can be good. When hunting these spots, it's crucial that you are the first truck in the parking lot and you're in position early. Use the pressure to your advantage and hunt the fringes and escape routes and you may do well. Once you narrow the unit/public area you plan to hunt, try to visit in March to scout for previous years' sign and confirm your escouting.

Whitetails are creatures of habit, and if you can find established rub lines, you'll be able to tell the ones that are used every year. The sign post rubs that get hit every season are usually pretty obvious, and you can generally develop a strategy around these lines and how they relate to bedding and feeding areas. One good approach is to locate transition areas between feed and bed that have linear rub lines between them. Connect the dots so to speak and find a spot to sit with a faovrable wind and put in the time.

Edit: meant to quote @KM5019

I'll summarize.

I go on the day before and set up camp, prep, do some final scouting (when where and what depending on the weather, checking patterns).

First morning, I'll hike into my spot, do some glassing, watching, waiting. May rotate spots, may do a spot and stalk if the situation presents itself.

M-F is less pressure. Geography plays a role as does weather. If it's a nasty one, get into the thick stuff and force em out.

Rabbit-pheasant hunting will help with point shooting.

Where there's one, give it time, another is close.

You could have 50s and sun and no wind, or, you could have -30s and 40mph wind and snow. Essentially, the weather could be anything. I've had years my old 870 froze over from driving sleet.

See what row crops are in/out of the fields, where the water is, if there's cedars prepare to crawl.

Orange, though i rock a vest on me and orange gaiter on the backside of my pack. For no other reason (outside legality) than the vest is more adapt than a standalone jacket.

Be warm. Be still. Be patient. Get cozy. Let your ears do the work. Let you eyes search for horizontal lines.

IF YOU MOVE TO PEE, KEEP YOUR FIREARM NEAR BY.