this is a question for the ones that have actually hunted public land in iowa.ive got 2 preference points in the bank.this will most likely be a one time deal.im almost 50 and hunting iowa has been on the bucket list.i gun hunt only.is having a quality hunt on public land possible.my definition of a quality hunt would be-area large enough to hike in and get away from other hunters,see a fair amount of deer,and have the potential to harvest a big one.everything ive read says that public land gets overrun during gun season,but some of the larger areas around the lakes or the state forests are bound to have some areas where you can go deep.any feedback would be appreciated.

I can't speak to the potential of public land potential in IA, though I do know like IL, much of the state is private.

Are you against hiring an outfitter? Or leasing?

I'm in the same position as you, a non-res with 2 bonus pts, waiting to draw a bow tag, which supposedly happens every 3rd year, though I think there are no guarantees.

I may be wrong, but I believe the hot tag to have in IA is a bow tag....in order to hunt the rut. You may be able to get on some private land more easily to gun hunt than bow hunt...do to demand...

Public land in Iowa does get alot of traffic during the shotgun seasons. Do you muzzleloader hunt? The late ML season is a better time to miss the crowd of hunters. Like the guy above said bow season is the best to hunt in Iowa for NR hunters. There are guys like me here in Iowa that would help others have a good hunt here in Iowa. Let me know if I can help I live in SW Iowa.

What are the seasons in IA? I guess I could check, but if you already know....
for some reason I thought the late ML season was also a shotgun slug season?

ok I looked them up...

is a shotgun tag harder to draw than a ML tag? I know bow is tougher than both shotgun/ML I believe...
I guess if you had private land to hunt, which would you hunt? shotgun or ML? if all you had to worry about was drawing the tag?

You can not use a shotgun during ML season but you can use a ML during shotgun season. I only hunt the late ML season, private or public. I hunt both ground. There is less pressure and the deer are on a heavy feed pattern if the weather is cold and nasty. Public land has standing food plots that have to be left during the winter for the animals.
Let me know if u guys need a place to hunt here in SW Iowa.