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bowhunter911

New Member
So I'm a native Michigan deer hunter and I've just received a tag for Zone 3 Iowa- which is the very west central side of Iowa (Monona, Harrison counties) shotgun season 1. This will be our first trip to Iowa, but I have hunted several other midwest states and I'm anxious for this hunt!

My brother and I are planning a trip in September to do some scouting and we were hoping to recruit the help of some of you to "guide" us in the right direction in regard to where to start. We will be staying in Moorehead and our plan is to target the Loess Hills area. We would love to find some private property and are willing to consider leasing for that first gun season. We will also be knocking on doors in hopes of getting lucky.

Any advice or information would be very appreciated. Thank you!
 
I've lived in Iowa my whole life and maybe drove through that part of the state 6(?) times, so can't offer anything but the Sportsmans Atlas. I have no financial ties to the atlas.
 
Most private land is leased or saved for family. Lots of public ground around there. Also some giant deer. Good luck, let us know how you do.
 
Also if you go to the iowa dnr website and click on hunting. There will be a link to show all the public hunting areas in the state. Its outlined very well county by county.
 
bowhunter911 said:
So I'm a native Michigan deer hunter and I've just received a tag for Zone 3 Iowa- which is the very west central side of Iowa (Monona, Harrison counties) shotgun season 1. This will be our first trip to Iowa, but I have hunted several other midwest states and I'm anxious for this hunt! My brother and I are planning a trip in September to do some scouting and we were hoping to recruit the help of some of you to "guide" us in the right direction in regard to where to start. We will be staying in Moorehead and our plan is to target the Loess Hills area. We would love to find some private property and are willing to consider leasing for that first gun season. We will also be knocking on doors in hopes of getting lucky. Any advice or information would be very appreciated. Thank you!
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Congrats on your tag. Next time I would recommend nailing down you e exact hunting property prior to drawing for the tag. This trip will end up costing you well over 2000.00 and that's not pocket change for most. The guys in here are extremely protective of their areas but you may receive a few PMs but don't count on it. I would think the DNR would be very helpful to talk with regarding a good area.
 
I live about 15 miles south of where you are staying. It's pretty knarly country. I don't hunt up that way but have friends that do and they kill some big ones. I would suggest getting the plat book and knocking on some doors. A lot of the ideal spots will be called for that time of year but doesn't hurt to ask. In that area I would focus on smaller pieces with creeks and draws. A lot of the locals will have the big country cornered but will overlook the small pieces.
 
Congrats on drawing your tag. I would second, getting familiar with the area before aapplying. I'm familiar with the area; you will struggle to find private ground for sure. The public is good also, a lot better 10 years ago a lot more pressure now. But, this doesn't mean your hunt can't be great. Very rugged country, get in way off the road and sit all day. Let others spook deer to you. Tuff time of year also it you don't have food plots, because the deer don't move as much this time of here. There are plots on the state land, bit there will also be hunters. Doing drives in the big timber is next to impossible, if a deer is smart, you will more than likely not even see him. Good luck again. Lots of work ahead for you, at the same time I'm sure you Will learn a lot about the country you will be hunting.
 
I agree with the others advise. You are not gonna get anywhere knocking on doors around the Moorhead/Preparation area of the Loess hills in september. Spend your time farther east in more farm country and you may find something private. I live west of Moorhead and can tell you that everything in the hills, not public, is family/friends hunted or leased. Numbers on the state land are down from the ehd and excessive doe tags, but big deer are killed every year. You also need to remember, mid September is youth/elderly/handicapped season here, and it is very popular. You are not gonna make many friends power scouting at that time, or learn much. The 1st shotgun is insane on the state land, and don't kid yourself, the large groups will be pushing the heck out of every inch, every day. I talked to a couple groups of NR's last year, that did the same thing as you are planning, that had not hardly seen a deer or a fresh track for the whole 1st season. These big deer survive by vacating the public during the day, after the early fall seasons start. They live on the borders, learning all they have to do is jump a fence to get away from the pressure. Which also is why every push has at least one marathon walker that will work the whole perimeter.
 
Actually you guys should look a little farther south in zone #3 at Mills cty. Look up the sheriff there. He will get you pointed in the right direction.
 
My best advice is to not overlook any of the small brushy draws or thick fence rows, and sit all day.
Shotgun season in iowa is a wild few weeks and unless your a vetran or work at a gun range, the ammount of shooting you can hear is insane.
The big boys know where to head to when the slugs start flying and sometimes its nothing more than a thick fence or a small woodlot in the middle of nowhere
 
Rich77 said:
My best advice is to not overlook any of the small brushy draws or thick fence rows, and sit all day.
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Shotgun season has lots of groups pushing. You never know when the parcel next to you gets pushed or repushed. Use it to your advantage and sit still.
 
Rich77 said:
My best advice is to not overlook any of the small brushy draws or thick fence rows, and sit all day.
Shotgun season in iowa is a wild few weeks and unless your a vetran or work at a gun range, the ammount of shooting you can hear is insane.
The big boys know where to head to when the slugs start flying and sometimes its nothing more than a thick fence or a small woodlot in the middle of nowhere
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X2 on small cover. Took a buddy to a small waterway with a few trees and he missed the biggest buck of the year and most likely ever will have a shot at. He Didn't take me serious and he wasn't ready to even see a deer let alone a giant.
 
I agree on smaller out of the way type places and being patient. I hunt a travel corridor with a little cover but not much and hope the guys to the south of me get a few to move my way. I'll sit in my blind the whole entire time and this has worked well for me. Find those places that everyone will drive by or they decide it's not worth looking at because the big timber is just over the hill. These bucks and doe don't get big being stupid, they like the out of the way under pressured hideouts. Bushy terraces, fence lines, water ways and small patches of trees in the middle of no where shouldn't be overlooked. I hunt from a tower blind and a couple years ago watched the neighbors chase after a nice buck. The buck ran into the small timbered ditch and after about 50 yards, snuck out and bedded in a terrace about 150 feet from the ditch. Those guys walked the ditch and fence line along the ditch and looked at the terrace but never walked it. The buck bedded there the rest of the afternoon.
 
I would,
1. Scope out multiple public ground tracts ( I would spend a couple days doing this at least) and if you go that route be prepared to get there super early, hike and sit all day.
2. Check out the county assessor website to try to find some smaller private tracts. (the county assessor website will show you the land owner of most tracts and save you some time on knocking on doors.)

I have trouble getting access to gun hunt with new properties, is seems like most have been hunted by family or friends for years, but it doesn't hurt to ask. People tend to be more open to bow hunters so most of the time that's how I have been able to get my foot in the door.
Good luck though!
 
From my experience I would find the thick knarly public areas, where neighboring groups will push deer into you. There is a lot of running and gunning that goes on in that area
 
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