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Why do you come to Iowa?

Tomo

Tomo

Member
Some folks go to Colorado to shoot elk because their state does not have an elk population. Some go to Wyoming to shoot antelope because there are none in their state. So why do you want to hunt Iowa? Almost every state has a whitetail population. Aside from having family in the state the obvious answer is to have the opportunity to shoot a big buck, right?

The reason I ask is that the two years that I have drawn an Iowa tag I didn't fill it either time AND I didn't fill my South Dakota tag. In the years I haven't drawn an Iowa tag I've been able to tag out on a few wallhangers in my home state.

IW member Horntickler hunts exclusively here in SD and has put some dandy bucks on the ground in the past three years.

The pattern I am seeing is that with only a resident tag to fill he has more time to devote to hunting his home state. There is no pressure to fill two tags as I felt this year and have felt in the past when I had a NR Iowa bow tag and resident SD tag. There are many very good Iowa resident deer hunters on this site that didn’t tag out this year and they have the whole season to hunt!

I can see some folks from states that are not known for big bucks wanting to come to Iowa but what about all of you from the other states? In the past few years I have been seeing monsters coming from Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky and the list goes on. Heck, back in October some kid ran his car into a 190 class NT not a mile from my house!

The recent changes for the NR in Iowa have got me to thinking I should just stay home and focus more on the big bucks in my area.

Keep this in mind…what is walking past your stand back home when you are hunting in Iowa?

Tomo
 
In my opinion if you have a plot of land and you use QDM and food plots mineral supplements and let the bucks reach maturity you can have trophys in any state or area....
 
Excellent post.

If I had to sum it up for me....it would be HYPE. Iowa has been getting a lot of press on whitetails lately and I guess I wanted a piece of the action and to see for myself what it was like. Through the experiences I had, the money I had to pay, overall time invested...I think I'm better off staying at home to hunt(regardless of the price hike or not). We all know 140/150"+ bucks just aren't around every tree and unless your able to plan your trip around hunter pressure, wind and weather..your chances are slim. There is the "golden horseshoe" factor though. Some have it...most don't.
 
I've never hunted outside my home state of Wisconsin.

And Tomo, I have said that repeatedly to friends and/or relatives that want to go hunt out of state for big bucks "why would I spend $3-5k on an out-of-state hunt when I can shoot a P&Y in Wisconsin?" In fact, I tend to hunt only one property during the season, even though I have access to 3 properties, and get invited by a few friends that know some good public spots. Why? By focusing all my scouting and hunts on one piece, I have the best shot of learning the sign and habits of the bigger bucks, and that increases my chances of scoring.

I've shot 3 bucks with my bow that have grossed 150+ here. That's great, but all three were 3 1/2 years old. You can't get one past that in my area. The taxidermist I go to is the best in the region and he rarely sees a 4 1/2 year old, and if he does, it was some guy that went to Canada, or ran into his buck of a lifetime in the Northwoods. You don't tend to see the coke-bottle bases or the mass on bucks around here- like you see on this site. Wisconsin's gun season gets started near the end of the rut, when bucks are still out sniffing for the last few does to breed. Plus, we allow rifles in most counties. Its very hard for a 120+ 2 1/2 year old, let alone a 140 class 3 1/2 year old buck to get through the gun season around here when all they have to do is show themselves once during the gun season and there's usually someone within 300 yards that's going to take a poke at them. Sure, some get by, but its rare. I few years ago, in two consecutive years, I passed on 130 class bucks late in the early bow season, hoping they'd make it through. One was an absolute dandy 9 point with great genetics - near 20" spread. Another was a 10 point with great symmetry. Both got shot at nearly 200 yards during the subsequent rifle season.

In wanting to go to Iowa, I know they wouldn't be behind every tree, but I'd say the chances are still better to get one in Iowa than Wisconsin.

So, the allure of the potential for an older age class buck is one thing. The other thing is a change of scenery. I've "been there, done that!" here, now I'd kind of like to try a different setting.

I'd think about Kansas if they go OTC. I have a contact that has access to 2000 acres there and I could probably hunt cheap. I'd have to make a few sacrifices, but I think I could get it by the wife.

Now if I only had the money!
 
There is probably more to it than this but this kind of sums it up. I can come to Iowa and in a week of hunting see more quality bucks In iowa than I will see in 5 years her ein PA. Yes there are some good bucks here but if I were to see a 120" buck here, I would be shooting in a hurry - In Iowa I can pass them all week long looking for a 140 or 150. Deer are moving naturally, acting naturally, here in my area of PA you are hunting small plots, often in backyards with traffic, kids, etc effecting deer movement. Nothing is natural or patternable but pure luck of being there when the deer are. I want to experience quality deer hunting of deer doing what they do naturally and that is not happenning in most of PA and for my time and money - I prefer Iowa.
 
in some states, wouldn't 2-5 grand every year or 2, be just as well spent on a small farm with some timber?
 
I came for my first job out of college and never left. Every fall, as I sit in my treestand in early November hunting mature rutting Iowa bucks with bow, I think about home sweet home, Owatonna Minnesota, and all of the 1.5's that are taking lead during the first shotgun season in my old hunting areas from my youth, and I start to panic until I realize it is just a flashback. Wheeew! Thank thee for divine intervention that lead me to the promise land!
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It would be nice if the spotlight came off of Iowa. But we just keep producing deer. Sure am getting sick of all the rich in staters and out of staters buying the little guys out of land. A lot of those guys can buy the land, but will never figure out how to kill a big deer on it. Amazing.
 
I live in state where half the state doesn't have a bow season but a 4.5 month rifle season with no limits on bucks (per day or season).

The measure of hunter's skill is in how many yearling bucks’ racks he can accumulate in the bed of his pickup every season.

Coming to Mid-West is an amazing
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experience for a hunter from the Southeast; it's much more than just scoring on a big buck. But witnessing an actual rut where deer act like deer instead of a reactionary creature due to the constant pressure of the longest rifle season in the country.
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Dbl.
I usually just follow posts but have to comment on yours:
Being an avid whitetail hunter it is not just the rich buying land here in Iowa. I have hunted the same area for 20 years and jumped on it when it came up for sale. How did I afford it ? Hard work. Put in a pond. How did I afford it? Hard work. Put in three acres of plots.
How did I afford it? Hard work. I am not trying to be an arse but not everybody whom owns land is rich. I guess what I am trying to say is a little hard work goes a long ways.
It depends on what you want and how hard someone wants to work for it.
Hope you have a safe and happy holiday. Risto
 
If mature bucks are your gig you have to hunt where they are. If you have access to good property in your home state with an adequate pipleline of mature bucks then staying local is probably a good plan. If your like me and your home areas are questionable then you travel elsewhere. For example, in 12 years of hunting my property in Wi I've seen one buck that would push P and Y. This year in Iowa I saw 4 for sure P and Y bucks in 8 days of hunting.

Now if Iowa had muskie fishing like I have here in the Minneaplis area I'd be changing my name to IA Slick.
 
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