Want to hunt somewhere new.

[Grandee]

I currently am hunting SW MN for whitetail. Would love to give Iowa a try, does anybody have any contacts or good info I could try. Thanks

[delmuts]

it would help if you specified an area, that you are interested in.there ise some great public hunting also. also a note. our shotgun season starts in a week and a half. things get very crazy during that time!

[Grandee]

Delmuts, Thanks for the reply. I guess I'm pretty open to any place in Iowa. Not to familair with Iowa, just want to look into an area that would give me a chance to see some deer and a chance at a nice buck. I'm willing to drive the distance if the opprotunities are there. Thanks

[delmuts]

would this be bow hunting ,or gun? i only know my little area. we do have a state area near here that is 5,00 acres that is open to hunting .( the volga lake project) there should/maybe something on the iowa dnr web site about it. some pressure to bow hunting. all hills, and some very good deer . there is also the yellow river project over by the miss. river. also a good area, but i know little about it.i'm shure there is something in the western part of the state too, but i'm not familar with it.

[Grandee]

thanks again--I'm thinking shotgun or muzzleloader---I'll check the dnr HSOforum

[delmuts]

ooops!! the volga lake project is 5000 acers! we have a early black powder season here.( usually the second week of oct. wich we treat like bow hunting , but you can reach out and touch them farther! ) and a late season following the shot gun season. during our shot gun season; they are some guys that run very organized groups, and drives. then there are the "OTHERS" that have large groups and attack the woods . if i can be any help for this area, let me know.

[FISHINGFARMER]

Grandee:

Here is a link that will answer most of your questions on finding and hunting public areas in Iowa.

www.iowagameandfish.com/hunting/whitetail-deer-hunting/ia_aa121904a/

A tip to you is, I would concentate in the central part of Iowa area for big bucks . The ratio per mile of ground to find the big one is there more than other areas. If you have any more questions on hunting in Iowa let me know.

Hope this helps you out!

Farmer

[Grandee]

Thanks everyone for the good info--I'm going to start researching some of it and fill you guys in or ask questions from there. Thanks again

[ole matty]

If ur plan on hunting public land I wld buy books of public lands in iowa ite help me on pheasants hunting.. There r few lands around clearlake city west to britt north to forest city n I have to say I really want to hunt here because I seen numberous of shootable bucks and doe awhile pheasants hunting.. I alway see bucks out at ventura marsh wma.. Hope u find a spot to hunt n shoot nice buck!

[reddog]

Northwest Iowa is littered with tracts of state land, some small, some very large. ( several sq miles)

Our first season opened yesterday, and concludes on Wed.

I was not hunting, but I was out almost all weekend.

I seen less than 30 hunters in over 200 miles driven.

Alot of locals opt for the later season, which will start this Saturday, and conclude the following Sunday, so it has two weekends in it. The late muzzle loader season follows that.

Alot of locals also head down towards the middle to bottom of the state and hunt down there.

The return of tall grass prairies has improved Northern Iowas white tail quality, because what used to be brome grass and could be driven quite readily, is now 3-5 feet tall, and you literally have to step on the brusiers to get them up. The survival rate is considerably better, now that we have some habitat that can keep them under cover better, since the season is so late in the year.

In years past, it was rare to get a adult white tail to 3 1/2 years old in the northern farming belt without some kind of refuge or protected area.

Also, you can buy a license over the counter, any day of the season and hunt on that day, so you dont have to be as fixed on your schedule. If you find yourself freeing up at work for a couple days and would like to go hunting, go buy the license and go hunting.

I doubt the non residents will have the same luxury.