Stoked about 2017 Season!!
Contributors to this thread:Iowa
From: slickyboyboo
12-Jul-17
My best friend and I drew Zone 5 archery tags this year! I am stoked. Planning on coming up and doing some scouting in August, then plan to hunt 4-12 Nov. I think we should hit it perfect!
From: drbonner
12-Jul-17
Congrats on drawing! Wish you the best. Will it be public or private land?
From: MikeS
13-Jul-17
Congrats! I scouted 6 days this late winter/early spring hoping to draw this year with 3 points. Unfortunately, I didn't draw this year, but my buddy did with 3 points. Found some really good looking areas and also found some properties that I would completely avoid due to lack of mature buck sign and lots of human sign (not a good mixture for me!).
From: Scooby-doo
15-Jul-17
I would bet the better dates would be after the 12th. You may hit it right during lock down the week you are going. Maybe not but from what I have been studying I would say after the 12th. Shawn
From: ahunter55
17-Jul-17
1st week of Nov. 2016
From: ahunter55
17-Jul-17
the bigger one. They didn't fight, smaller backed off & he passed me under 15 yds. The bigger never got within 65 yds.
From: ahunter55
17-Jul-17
my yard 1st snow. They LOVE bird seed.
From: Ollie
21-Jul-17
I own property and have hunted in zone 6 every year since 2001. The dates that you have proposed for your hunt are pretty good. I have my best action centered around November 12. Once you get to about Nov. 15 the bucks and does will be breeding and the dreaded "lockdown" is in effect. Early hunt dates are heavily influence by weather. Hot weather shuts down daylight activity while cold weather promotes daylight movement.
From: Rob in VT
21-Jul-17
How is the drought? Hopefully some rain and no EDH in the forecast. I have a Zone 4 tag and will be hunting Nov 4-12.
From: Ollie
22-Jul-17
Northeast Iowa has been getting hammered with rain. Some flooding issues. Central Iowa has adequate moisture most of the summer. Southern 1/3 of Iowa is hit and miss. My property in Van Buren County has received about 1.6" of rain this month which is 2.5" short of average. June was not much better. The main creek flowing through my property stopped flowing over a month ago. Just scattered pools in deeper sections.
From: NEIAbowhunter
23-Jul-17
I live in northeast iowa, zone 9 to non-residents. The last couple days we had 4-6" of rain and some major flooding. No drought around here, that's out west creeping in from the Dakotas that are bone dry. The last couple years the majority of action has been the 2nd week of november. 4-12 should be pretty good I would guess. hope for cool mornings.
From: t-roy
23-Jul-17
I'm in central Iowa and we keep getting missed by the rain, although we did get about an inch last Thursday. Before that, we've had a total of 2" from mid May till last Thursday.
Those dates year in and year out are generally very good, weather pending. If it's unseasonably warm, you might see slower daytime activity, but they still rut the same time every year. Halloween till November 15th are my two favorite weeks of the year.
From: slickyboyboo
28-Jul-17
Sorry guys, I have been out of pocket for a while, and just now getting back on here. We will be hunting public land, and I am raring to go.
You guys from out of state that are asking about rain, check out a website called Farmlogs, you can draw areas on a map, and it will track the rainfall of that specific area, and show you a graph of where you are compared to a 10 yr average. It is a really cool tool. They also have an app for iPhones and Android, that you can use as well. Website - https://farmlogs.com/ iOS app - https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/farmlogs/id644043593?mt=8 Android app - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.trigger.forge633ed212c46d11e185cd12313d1adcbe&hl=en
From: IAHUNTER
29-Jul-17
T-roy hit the nail on the head and can't wait to hear how everyone does!
From: ArrowOne
01-Aug-17
Slicky I also drew zone 5 and am equally stoked. I will be hunting public as well during that time. Best of luck to you and your friend!!
From: slickyboyboo
10-Oct-17
ArrowOne, same to you! We went up and scouted in Aug, and found a few really good looking spots. I am hoping they pan out for us. As of late, it looks like they are starting to get a bit of rain up that way, and that is always a good thing!
From: GarnyHawk
12-Oct-17
I'll be in zone 9 November 2-12! It took 4 years, but stoked to get back to NE Iowa and do some bow hunting!
From: bowonly
12-Oct-17
I got drawn for Zone 3 and will be leaving Louisiana on Oct 20th thru Nov 4th. Hunting public land also.
From: Arrowone
12-Oct-17
The rain is good news!! I'm psyched it's almost here. I got permission on some private ground but other than aerials I don't know much about it. There are some really interesting pieces of public land in zone 5 that I will check out as well. Good luck everyone and if possible report back here what you are seeing and how things are going. It's always enjoyable to follow along.
From: GarnyHawk
16-Oct-17
Good luck everyone! It's going to be a great 2017 RUT!
From: Gutpile Addict
17-Oct-17
I am headed to zone 5 Nov 6 through 14th. Or watching weather channel I am flexible with landowner when it is colder I am headed
From: slickyboyboo
23-Oct-17
Arrowone, some of the spots we scouted have gotten as much as 10-12 inches of rain, since we were up scouting. Weather is looking really good for the 4th-12th for us. Also according to the DNR biologists that we talked to back when we were up scouting, if there was no huge EHD outbreak, they said our area should be loaded with 4 yr olds, according to their trailcam observations.
From: Arrowone
23-Oct-17
That's great news on the 4yr olds, and yes the weather looks great. Hopefully it's all coming together for our trips!! Thank you for the update.
From: slickyboyboo
25-Oct-17
No problem at, glad to pass on the info. 10 days out, and I’m getting restless!
From: Arrowone
25-Oct-17
Yeah me too. I'm all over the 10 day forecast. Which looks pretty good.
From: Deernut
02-Nov-17
Hi my handle is deernut I live in SC Iowa and seen my first mature buck chasing this AM oh and I am new to this cite
From: Arrowone
02-Nov-17
Deernut thanks for the info. I hope to be in the woods Sat afternoon. Please keep us informed what u are seeing.
From: Gutpile Addict
02-Nov-17
I am leaving Tennessee Monday the 6th headed to Zone 5. I am stoked
From: Deernut
04-Nov-17
Deernut hunted last night seen two does & one buck and hunted this AM seen nothing last two days it's been slow for me has it been slow for anyone else I know it will improve through it's that time of year
From: Deernut
04-Nov-17
180 to 190 inch his name is curly
180 to 190 inch his name is curly
From: Arrowone
06-Nov-17
11/5 I saw 135" 10 at 730. That was it. This am I had a decent 8 go under my stand. The pm it started to rock. 2 10's a 130 and mid 140s chasing 2 does. Had em both at 15 yards and passed them up. After that a 1.5 yo and a broken rack 2.5 8 came through. It's starting!!
From: Deernut
07-Nov-17
What's everyone seeing in southern Iowa as far as the rut goes . What I been seeing rut activity is increasing but may be a week out or so for the full rut .
From: Ollie
07-Nov-17
Last weekend in Van Buren County in southeast Iowa it was very, very slow. Very little movement of any kind. I had four hunters spread out on my property and very little was seen. Slowest first week of November I have ever seen. The cold weather that just arrived should help along with the full moon passing.
From: Deernut
07-Nov-17
Yes that is what I seen also very slow first wk nov .
From: NEIAbowhunter
07-Nov-17
I'm up here in north east Iowa, normally that first week I'm overwhelmed by 2 year olds chasing like crazy but it was slow. A couple of small 8's and a 6 that I think will be really nice in a few years were chasing does but that was it. You could just tell the genetics were there. I saw roughly 140" 10 point out but showed no interest in the nearby does. I've only been bow hunting about 5 years now but this is the slowest first week i've seen. The second week of November has been gold for me the last 4 years though. Keep at it!
From: slickyboyboo
08-Nov-17
From: slickyboyboo
08-Nov-17
From: Deernut
08-Nov-17
Thanks for report guys
From: Deernut
08-Nov-17
Thanks for report guys
From: slickyboyboo
11-Nov-17
Punched my tag on Nov 7, on a nice 130s 8 pt. Can’t get pics to load, will try again later. Cool story is, someone had shot him in a past season, he had a traditional style 2 blade broadhead lodged low, right behind his right shoulder. It was not affecting his way of life or health at all, he was very healthy.
I’d been hunting one location for 2 1/2 days, and only had good action one morning, and it seemed to die after that. I moved to a completely different piece of property, found a good spot, and got my stand set. Settled in, and grunted a few times, and this buck came in directly upwind. He tried to circle downwind, but in doing so gave me a perfect broadside 25 yd shot. And that was all she wrote, the Grim Reaper Fatal Steel did its job.
From: slickyboyboo
11-Nov-17
Broadhead that was in my buck.
Broadhead that was in my buck.
Looks like they loaded this time.
From: Deernut
12-Nov-17
205 inches non typical
205 inches non typical
From: Deernut
12-Nov-17
From: Deernut
12-Nov-17
From: Deernut
12-Nov-17
205 non typical named curly
From: slickyboyboo
09-Dec-17
Great buck Deernut!
From: drbonner
21-Jan-18
Nice buck Deernut!!! Congrats!!!
From: drbonner
21-Jan-18
Same to you SlickyBoyBoo
From: slickyboyboo
20-Feb-18
Thanks, drbonner! The latest on the broadhead that was in my deer when I killed it. I sent it to a taxidermist and had him clean it up with dermestid beetles. It appears to be an STOS 2-blade with a piece of a wooden shaft still attached.
