iowa bow hunt
Whitetail Deer
Contributors to this thread:
Finally drew a tag for Iowa zone 6....Any feed back on when the best time is to bow hunt big bucks? I am hearing the rut will be early. I only have a week to hunt and have access to private land so I want to ensure I hit the rut right....thinking of heading in October 26th.....Too early?? any opinions and suggestions would be greatly appreciated
If I was you, I would try to wait one more week. Not saying its not fine to be here that early, but I think the best movement is AFTER Halloween. Just my thoughts only.
I’ve only hunted Zone 6, 4 times during the rut but found 10/30 on should work just fine! Good luck!
If you only have a week I would wait til after the 5th of November.
Oh com on APauls you know those doe's like to cycle in early some times and later other time to just mess up us bow hunters.
If I had to only pick one week, my choices would be 1. Week of 12-16 2. Week of 5-9 *For truly mature deer. The week of 5-9 in my experience in Iowa means more buck sightings, they're just usually smaller deer (on average....obviously) compared to the week after.
LOL Scrappy. I mean I'm not saying there isn't the odd doe that cycles early and the odd one that cycles late but those are just the outside of the bell curve. The top of the bell curve is the same time every year.
I swear sometimes the average Manitoba rifle hunter is clueless. There is a manitoba hunting forum and the crap you hear on there is insane. Pretty sure I read a week or two ago a guy said the rut was already over in his area of the province. Really. And all those does will birth fawns during ice fishing season.
every day of the season there are fewer bucks alive.
The first 10 days in November are my favorite.
Be in a stand on Halloween.
If I could only hunt a week, I would pick the 4th thru the 10th and pray for good weather. Ideally, you would hunt the week after as well.
Yep, I'd wait until the 5th also.
Apauls... I had a guy at work tell me (two weeks ago) that the rut had already came and went on his place. At that exact point, I was done talking about hunting, with him.
Last two posts have it right. Don’t forget to pass the 150s cause there’s a 180 behind every tree in Iowa. Or so they say...... An old Iowan.
Well, sounds like the best activity in Iowa will be first couple weeks in November....I just got news from work that I can only go from October 25th until November 1st. I sure hope this won't be too early and that bucks are on their feet and start moving. I see the weather is warming up next week....What can you guys from Iowa tell me on deer activity at the moment and your look ahead for the week that I will be going??
I haven’t been out yet, but you should be ok during that timeframe, especially if it doesn’t warm up too much. I’ve had a little more success with rattling at this time more so than later on in November. I’ve killed several good bucks on Halloween. One negative here right now is, there are still tons of crops in the fields here, which might hinder things a bit.
The 25th - 1st is a excellent time to be in the woods....that`s when the chase phase gets hopping. Matter of fact that is my preferred period. I see way more bucks on their feet in broad daylight at this time.
Let's keep the glass half full...the time you are able to hunt also coincides with the opener for pheasant season in Iowa. If any of the land you are hunting is near some CRP or other pheasant habitat there is a good chance some bucks may be pushed out as well. Set up in places the bucks may try to escape to. Good Luck!
I own property in zone 6 and have been hunting there since 2001. If I could only pick one day to hunt, it would be November 12. The end of October/first week of November is a gamble. If the weather is cold, you will have very good pre-rut action. Bucks will be running scrape lines and respond very well to rattling/grunting at this time. However, if you have a warm spell the hunting will likely be very tough. If you go later you may have to contend with the dreaded rut lockdown! My last two bucks have been killed the first weekend of the season in early October. Reality is that there is never a "bad" time to hunt whitetails in Iowa. It's just that some weeks tend to be more reliable than others.
I'm drawn for unit 4. will be hunting near Corning Iowa Nov 5th -10th. can't wait!!!
You guys not out in September are missing the rut that produces all those March fawns! :-)
If there's only one day per year I could be in a treestand it would be Nov 10. I would pick 11/3-11/10 as your dates. Basically one week later.
Anyone hunting iowa have any updates for me on buck activity so far and weather for next week?? I am still scheduled to start hunting from the 27th-nov 1st but will postpone a week and risk losing my job if i need to to make sure i get a fair chance at a nice buck!! LOL
Haven’t heard much as far as activity, but the forecast looks pretty favorable. Highs in the 50s and lows in the 30s & 40s isn’t bad at all. Slight rain chances but relatively minimal.
Had one buck chasing does today and working a scrape. I’ve been out the last three afternoons and had the most activity today. Going to sit a scrape line in the timber tomorrow AM.
Had a very well known Bowsiter text me a picture of his Iowa Giant he just arrowed! It’s begining! Good luck!
Took a day off and snuck out this morning. Passed a big 8 first thing. I will probably regret it come Thanksgiving, but didnt want to shoot one the first morning I hunted. Only buck I saw, but the fact he was on his feet in the daylight is encouraging.
This weekend should be good, although its gonna warm up a bit. The next week will be a great time to be in the woods. Make sure you bang some horns together once in a while.
I wouldnt risk losing my job, but I'm retired so I've got it covered. I'm thinking so much of this has to do with the area and herd chemistry/dynamic. Bucks are moving well now and if you're in a place where they haven't been pressured and there are plenty of does, you can bet the bucks will be moving in late daylight casually sniffing every fanny that they can get close to. Bucks will still stay close to home then. In the first couple weeks of Nov. They will be running all over hell and it can be feast or famine. Good luck!