Iowa deer hunting question?
 

Do any of you know how many bucks you can harvest per year in Iowa? I thought I remembered seeing one particular proffesional hunter with three bucks that he took in Iowa this past season.

RE: Iowa deer hunting question?
 

Well since im a youth I can get a youth tag (any sex), a bow tag (any sex) and a muzzleloader or shutguntag (any sex).

But non-youths can only get a bow tag and a muzzleloader or shotgun tag. I think you can also get a landowners tag but im not sure if its for any sex or not.

RE: Iowa deer hunting question?
 

We can get a bow tag (anysex), and a gun tag (any sex). Also, as a landowner we can get one additional tag (any sex) for any season we choose.

Now, to confuse the issue more. Our state also allows party hunting during the shotgun season.[:@] So, your buck killing there is only limited by the number of tags available to you by your group.

Hope that helps.

RE: Iowa deer hunting question?
 

Also to add I heard that they have what they call celebrity tags for the so-called professional hunters that are going to be filming and promoting Iowa hunting.

RE: Iowa deer hunting question?
 

I thought so! It's amazing to me that Iowa keeps producing great bucks year after year,considering theyallow hunters to take 2-3 bucks per season. You would think at that pace, Iowa would start to see some P&Y and B&C numbers drop in the near future, IMO.

RE: Iowa deer hunting question?
 

The tag regulations have been this way for quite a few years now. Compared to most states we still enjoy pretty low pressure. I think the most important factors are that we do not have a gun season during the rut, and our DNR has been smart to limitthe number of nonresident tags available. The system obviously is working, yet there is a big push by nonresident landowners and realtors to give all nonresident landowners tags. They refuse to acknowledge the fact that their greed will without a doubt turn our state into another pay to hunt state much like Texas or Illinois. Right now, Iowa is still a great place to get access and hunt huge deer. Most nonresidents are willing to wait for that opportunity and enjoy high success rates and easy access to land when they do draw a tag. (usually every 2nd or 3rd year).Case in point, I know a young man from Mississippi thatpatiently waited3 years to draw an archery tag but was rewarded with a 181"monster whiteyfor his patience.Unfortunately, there are those that always want more and dont care what happens to anyone else as long as they get what they want NOW. Greed pretty well ruins everything it touches. Deer hunting is no different.

RE: Iowa deer hunting question?
 

Well put fletch920!

RE: Iowa deer hunting question?
 

[/quote]

I thought so! It's amazing to me that Iowa keeps producing great bucks year after year,considering theyallow hunters to take 2-3 bucks per season. You would think at that pace, Iowa would start to see some P&Y and B&C numbers drop in the near future, IMO.
[/quote]

Another one of the big reasons is the switch to better land management and a steady food supply during the antler growing seasons... Farmers may not like it or agree with it, but they are actually in a way "growing" these huge bucks... Heck, you won't ever hear me complain :D

RE: Iowa deer hunting question?
 

Is it true that zones 5 and 6 are the best big buck producing zones in Iowa?

RE: Iowa deer hunting question?
 

NO!I moved to zone 5 for the small bucks. We don't have any big bucks down here!!!!! I heard Mont County, PA was the place to go for the big 'uns!:)

RE: Iowa deer hunting question?
 

Very good Mark!!:D:DWas the deer hunting really one of the reasons you moved to your area, or did it just happen that way?

RE: Iowa deer hunting question?
 

It was a definate factor in determining where to move to. There were other places that my wife liked the home, but the land didn't offer anything. When we found this place, my wife sacraficed her idea of a nice home for the timber, # of acres, and the 7 acre lake on the property. It had all I wanted and she knew it and lied (yes, spouses will like on occasion) and said she liked the home so we would buy the property. If you come out for the Tuff Bow Competition, you can see for yourself what drew us to this place.

RE: Iowa deer hunting question?
 

and I'm fairly sure they come out of the "pool" for NR tags.....IF true, some NR hunters are getting to watch a tv personalty use their tag they may have drawn. I'm not behind the closed doors, so I can't say this is 100%, but that is what I've been told.

To add to fletch920....I think deer hunting(for the most part) has evolved pretty fast into a sport that, for the majority of people in our area, is more about seeing how big the bucks can grow. Fletch passed a good buck for 3 years to kill him this year as a world class buck....the majority of hunters is this area have a similar philosophy. In the past, it was "get your buck" and that still exists, but not on the scale that it was even 10 yrs ago.

Another reason we have big bucks is...to us they are not big bucks. A 3yr old 140class deer is a nice deer, but for me, its not a big deer. Many people think it is.....I see that animal and imagine him in 2 yrs. Most of the people that are putting up pictures of big deer are killing these 3 yr old bucks when they are 5 yr olds cause they passed them to see how big they would get...Fletch's 2008 buck is a prime example.

It also helps to have unlimited food, cover & low pressure. We don't see the "level" of party hunting Fletch spoke about like we used to see. There is just not enough big chucks of ground that 20 guys can surround as it has been broken up and sold.

I guess to me, deer hunting has evolved into "hunting" vs. "shooting" in our area and that has helped in our ability to grow bigger bucks...Most want the thrill of "dancing" with a 170+ animal...win or lose, it's all about the experience.

RE: Iowa deer hunting question?
 

We have it kind of the same here in SD. We can get one archery buck tag for east and west river, also we can get a Rifle tag for east and west river if you are drawn in the lottery drawing. In addition to thatyou can get up to five doe tagsfor archery. Also you can get a muzzleloader tag. And if there is leftover tags in the lottery you can get up to five additional Rifle tags.

One year i ended up with two bow buck tags, two east riverrifle buck tags,4rifle doe tags,1 west river buck tag, 2 bow doe tags, and a muzzleloader tag.

No i didnt shoot that many, But in SD most of the counties you have to get a double tag 1 doe and 1 buck for rifle.