Iowa??

[ole matty]

anybody hunt there recently? might go down there wknd of 12th...

[Quackaddict9]

Mats- you know there are no pheasants in Iowa

[onlyspringers]

Haven't been out since sunday but there were plenty of birds on opening weekend. We hunt in west central part of the state, 5 of us managed 9 on Saturday and then two of us limited out on Sunday.

From the people that I have talked to and the reports in the papers the best numbers were found in a band from the northwest corner to the central part of the state. Problems been that the temps have been in low 70's since last week and we haven't had any rain for several weeks.

If you are coming the 12th the remainder of the corn should be out and the forecast is calling for some rain this weekend and middle of next week with temps falling back into the 50's.

[ole matty]

i know not that many people hunt cottontails but do u see alots of them? i just love to hunt for them

[690VS]

I'm from north west Iowa the Spirit lake area we have a lot of birds come on down and have some fun you just have to be willing to get out and walk and you should be able to shoot some birds.

[onlyspringers]

We hunt our birds on private crp ground and really don't see many bunnies. I think it is a combination of the type of cover and the fact that there are quite a few fox and coyotes around.

The son & I try and get in a couple of bunnie hunts after phesant season closes. For this we usually head south of I-80. More crop land that is bordered by timber and brushy draws running through them.

[ole matty]

thanks for reply. cant wait for trip to iowa next wknd!!!

[onlyspringers]

Glad I could give you some info. We went out today and the fields that had corn in them last weekend are now picked. 4 of us were able to get a limit of 12 by 12:30. Heard alot more shooting today and the hunters we talked to all had been have good success. Good luck next weekend, let us know how you do.

[ole matty]

how pheasant hunting going in north central iowa after snowing and cold hit? is there any public land between from gardner city to spirit lake city?

[Fish_Off]

Went down there last weekend and there was still a lot of hunters. usually by now in past years we have seen very few hunters around. With the snow and deer season maybe we will see less, but last weekend was a bust. 1 bird 2 dogs 2 days. Not as good as 2 years ago.

[onlyspringers]

Don't hunt that part of the state myself, but from what I have heard there is quiet alot of public ground up that way. The next 2 weekends will be a zoo in this state with shotgun deer season. One thing I know is that most of the public ground in that part of the state is nontoxic shot only.

Would think that with the cold weather and 4-6 inches of snow you won't find many bird hunters from now on.

[ole matty]

when shotgun season open? tomorrow? plan to go down there tomorrow for some ringneck and bunnies hunt

[onlyspringers]

Yes the first season opens tomorrow. 2nd season next weekend. Just stay away from the timber and you should be alright. The weather may keep the numbers down some. Last forecast I heard was for 3-6 inches of snow north of hwy 20 and a high temp of about 20. SHould make the birds hold tight.

[ole matty]

ah i was suppose to leave early to head south to iowa but seem my alarm aint workin so guess i ll goin to iowa after deer season r over cuz i want to hunt for rabbits and dont want risk get my dog shot at in timbers... happy hunting!

[Fish_Off]

Went down to Emmet county today and it was a zoo. Hunters everywhere private and public. Public areas were virtually unaccessable due to deer hunters. However the three of us got two birds which isn't too bad for a late season hunt. Snow drifts were up to the waist in some spots making it hard to catch up to the birds.

[crewdog]

hunted fri. saw plenty of birds but they were very spooky. Juyst as soon as i got halfway into the cover the birds (especially the roosters) would scoot out the end. Did get quite a few hen flushes but after about 8 the dog seemed to look back and say why aren't you shooting? On a funny note anybody ever had to step in a creek when its -10 degrees outside. after crossing one stream I looked like a christmas elf my boots froze in a nice curve!

[Fish_Off]

Yes the ditches down there are up to the gills. I had to cross two wide ditches and opposite feet got wet on each one. At the end of the day my pants were frozen and weighed about ten pounds.