Iowa deer tag question
Contributors to this thread:Whitetail Deer
From: stick slinger
04-Oct-20
I’m trying to figure out which tag is which. One says AWD, the other says Antlrs. Which is buck, which is doe? Is antlrs mean antlers or antlerless? Thanks
From: stick slinger
04-Oct-20
Yea, I was pretty sure. Thanks
From: t-roy
04-Oct-20
Antrles is your antlerless tag.
From: wildwilderness
04-Oct-20
As a side note, what do you guys think of the muzzy season at New Years for a buck? Is it a good time to hunt? Or is the November archery rut worth the extra wait For a NR tag?
From: t-roy
04-Oct-20
Definitely worth the wait for the rut hunt, hands down, IMO. The weather could be a big factor later in the year. Usually see better activity if it’s really cold during the late season. If it’s warm, it’s seems like you will see less daytime activity, especially on mature bucks
From: wildwilderness
04-Oct-20
I guess it’s impossible to know what the weather will do in January when applying for the tag in spring :(
I have friend who has never shot a whitetail and would be happy with a representative buck. Seems like Iowa would be an easier spot to get a 125 class buck even on the muzzy?
From: 4nolz@work
04-Oct-20
If you have a bow tag left you can use a bow late muzzleloader season
From: map1
04-Oct-20
AWD is any whitetail deer. Late season muzzy is boom with really cold weather or bust if unseasonably warm. Build points for archery rut hunt as noted you can still hunt late season with a bow you must wear orange during muzzy
From: t-roy
04-Oct-20
If you are hunting with a bow during late muzzleloader season, you are not required to wear blaze orange. If hunting with a muzzleloader, then yes, it is required.
From: wildwilderness
05-Oct-20
If I understand the draw odds correctly it takes a NR 1 point to draw a unit 4 Muzzy tag, or it takes 4 points to draw an Archery tag?
Sounds like muzzy is a gamble on cold weather?
From: BadlandsRoger
05-Oct-20
That's about right. I'm putting in for a zone 4 tag and I've got two points. Plan to hunt Iowa in 2-3 years. I'm not sure about the muzzy tag. I haven't even looked at those. There's plenty of deer in IA and I'm sure you could kill something good in January. You're probably going to hunt food sources and the problem with IA is that it's one giant food source.
From: Boone
05-Oct-20
I had 4 points last year and tried to draw an Iowa zone 4 tag to no prevail. But was able to draw an archery tag for this year so November 1st wheels are up and hopefully be hunting that evening.
From: 4nolz@work
05-Oct-20
Wow Boone I've heard of 3 points not drawing but not 4 points.You had 4 before the draw not after correct?
From: 4nolz@work
05-Oct-20
Trying to figure how 180 people could draw with 3 points and you not draw with 4.......
From: Boone
05-Oct-20
Yeah we go in as a group of 3 and we were also lost for words when nobody drew a tag
From: 4nolz@work
05-Oct-20
If anyone in the group had <4 and didn't draw then the group doesn't draw that makes sense.
From: wildwilderness
05-Oct-20
Probably a good thing you didn’t draw last year with the EHD? Might be a better year?
From: Boone
05-Oct-20
Yeah after reports last year I'm glad I didnt draw. Haven't heard much on EHD this year so we will wait and see. Hopefully I have enough service and time I will do a small live report as I can
From: Rupe
07-Oct-20
The way EHD hit Iowa so hard last year it’s going to take 3 years or more to make up for it. That’s assuming you’re hunting in the effected areas.
From: wildwilderness
07-Oct-20
Rupe- which areas were hit the hardest? Unit 4,5?
I’m at one point. By the time I draw archery it should be recovered? My buddy considering muzzy next year should wait?
From: t-roy
07-Oct-20
Here’s the map showing the areas that reported EHD in 2019.
From: Milhouse
08-Oct-20
T-roy, what website is that map located on?
From: Rupe
08-Oct-20
I can state unequivocally that the numbers posted are just a fraction. I know one single landowner that found over 30 dead bucks just on his farm alone in Decatur County. And that is what they found. Who knows how many they didn’t find. My guess is the number is 5 to 10 times what’s been reported.
Wildwilderness, I can’t really say because the problem with EHD is it can rear it’s ugly head at any time. We’ve had some drought again this year and from what I’ve heard that’s a contributor to the disease. Decatur, Clarke, Lucas, Warren, and Madison were hammered. The EHD bass reared it’s ugly head once every 2 or 3 years since I bought land in 2004.
On a positive note my friends have told me and I have observed this 1st hand is that while total numbers of bucks is down you have a shot at a true giant. Because of the decrease in social stress and social pressure bucks seem to do really well. The stress is decreased because total number of bucks has decreased. Might be the silver lining to help you make a decision.
From: 4nolz@work
08-Oct-20
were applications down with Covid? Seems like that would mean applications would be up 2021
From: t-roy
08-Oct-20
Mill house....It may have been on the Iowa Bowhunters Association website. I believe the Iowa DNR website may have the same information as well. I pulled that map from an earlier thread on Bowsite, and the areas shown were the hardest hit, but as Rupe alluded to, and from others that I heard from, the deer mortality numbers were reportedly much higher.
From: wildwilderness
08-Oct-20
NR deer zones
NR deer zones
So it looks like zones 4-5 got hit the hardest?
From: Rupe
09-Oct-20
Yes that’s correct. When is your hunt?
From: wildwilderness
09-Oct-20
Not soon enough! I'm a couple years out for archery, my buddy is debating if he should put in the muzzy hunt for next year.
