Iowa Whitetail Deer Hunts, North East Iowa

Hunt famous Iowa one of the leaders for big whitetail bucks. For big deer Soybeans, Corn and alfalfa is important but more so is cover, woodlots.  Not just as thermo cover but escape cover so they can get 4 year and 4 seasons under their belts to begin showing their mature buck rack genes. We have outfitters in most zones so a location to hunt is not a problem. More important is what units you can draw in to get a tag in the first place.

Iowa has a high point requirement for archery in most units but much lower for guns, being shotgun or muzzleloader. Also keep in mind the configuration for a muzzleloader is extremely open and t is thought as being their long range weapon. It is legal to use your slug shotgun during muzzleloader season but not your muzzleloader during shotgun seasons.

With that said there are zones that are much easier to draw, the problem is the big buck population is lower, a good mixture of feed and cover is what is needed for big bucks.

In the zones we cover.  It is possible to draw any gun tag without preference points, but not a "guarantee". I would estimate about 50% of applicants will draw with no points. If you don’t draw the first year you will get a point and be assured a tag the following year.

The best way to get a tag and a prime hunting place in Iowa is with us. We book you in for a farm or multiple farmers in a zone, and then assist you in filling out that all important application.

In this way if you draw you will be assured you will have a place to hunt. If you don’t dray and instead get a point we just put you in as first choice on the farm on the next year because you have beat the draw at this time, you will get a license.

Many areas you will be able to hunt multiple farms after the outfitter has been doing the scouting and knows where the big buck are staying, ground blind, tree stand, whichever id best in the location the big buck stays in. All of the patterning work will already have been done for you no matter what season/weapon you select.

In Iowa with your buck tag you also receive a free doe tag. Last year with archers one outfitter which hunts over 3000 acres they went home with 1 180" another 170" and only 1 didn't make P & Y. 200% opportunity on 140 class deer around 100% on 150's. The guys that shot the 180 a 170 passed numerous bucks from 145 - 155! The one hunter that did not get a buck missed 2 shots on 160" deer. He knows what 160's are as he has killed 2 here with gun over the years. His buck (w/gun) this yr was 168".

Where else do you see so many big bucks to choose from? It is because the average buck in these areas is larger than the average whitetail buck that I have seen anywhere, and don’t forget more of them. The restrictive draw process and broken woods and feed has provided an environment that naturally obtains older age bucks, so bigger racks are somewhat common, the record books prove it.

To focus down to help you decide we have outfitters that manage their property for big deer. They are also in the number 1 and number 2 zones in the state for having the most Boone & Crocket along with Pope and Young record book submissions.

A group of 3 putting in separately (not as a group) may be able to pull one or 2 tags. This is sufficient as the can hunt as a "group". The unsuccessful hunters can buy antlerless tags (cost less), which makes them legal to hunt, and they can shoot a buck under the "Party hunt" rules.

Typically there are unused buck tags in the first and second shotgun hunts. I have very little need for you to sell 1st shogun hunts however. The advantage to 2nd gun is a 9 day season longer than the first gun season. Applications are available around April 1 and must be submitted by the end of May. The price for a deer license and tag is around $550.00.

It is possible to draw any gun tag without preference points, but not a "guarantee". I would estimate about 40 -50% of applicants will draw with no points. 100% draw with a point, so hunters are guaranteed their hunt price and dates for the following season should they be unsuccessful in the draw. This is the only way for me to stay in unless, as I need a commitment of people to come in the upcoming season and beyond to maintain these many properties and to keep these leases.

 Deposits to secure a hunt before you put in for a hunt is $1000. If you don’t draw it can be returned or rolled over and you are first person booked on that property the next year.

 Turkey season would be a good time to hunt the farm and see what it is like before putting in for your tag. We can help you get a turkey and scout your deer area all at the same time or same trip.

 I always encourage my "meat" hunters to shoot fawns. During the bow season, I ask the bow hunters that want meat to shoot only doe fawns as they are close enough to usually tell the difference. I look at it as though if a farmer went out and harvested his brood cows every year (old does) he would soon be out of business! The first year anniversary a fawn with has her first fawn and it will be a single. After that a do usually has two fawns every year. I am certain I may have some that die of old age but in the mean time, I am getting maximum buck fawn production.

Killing doe fawns has the least impact on deer numbers for the next year. We have a lot of deer here, but are not in danger of overpopulation due to habitat restrictions. We have habitat here to carry 150 deer / square mile. Now with that said I want to remind you that we are not that high after the deer disperse in the spring to have their fawns. There are many areas that have hundreds of deer per square mile during the winter when deer bunch up on food. Most years even when deer "bunch" up, there is adequate habitat for them.

I'm carrying about 200 per square mile in the fall/winter months, and that is enough. We will kill a few more this year, but again, I will encourage only fawns to be shot, they are the best eating anyway. It is a QDM Deer management plan that works, and has for years. 

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 October   1-10: Archery 10 day hunt, $1,650.00*

October 11-20: Archery 10 day hunt, $1,850.00*

October 21-November 18: Archery 7 day hunt, $2,250.00*

October 21-November 18: Archery 10 day hunt, $2,650.00*

November 19-December 3: Archery 8 day hunt, $1,950.00*

December 4-8: 1st Gun 5 day hunt, $2,750.00*

December 11-19: 2nd Gun 9 day hunt, $2,450.00*

December 20-Januray 9: Muzzleloader 5 day hunt, $1,650.00*

December 20-Januray 9: Muzzleloader 8 day hunt, $1,950.00*

Youth hunts available for $500 + $1,000 QDM fee with any full price hunt

*All hunt prices subject to harvest fees discussed below.

*$500 deposit guarantees hunt price and reserves dates. In case you don’t draw a tag, your hunt    price and hunt dates are guaranteed until you do draw. Your deposits assure that the leases will    be maintained, properties remain posted, and the deer have adequate food plots and quality deer    mineral licks available year around.

*Half of hunt balance due August 1 (after license drawing).

*Remainder of hunt balance by personal or company check due three weeks prior to hunt or    $CASH$ upon arrival.

It is our goal to provide the best trophy hunting possible for our hunters. We want to encourage hunters to harvest 140" gross bucks or better, while still providing the option of harvesting a lesser buck if so desired. To that end, we offer the two harvest fee options listed below, one of which is required in addition to the regular hunt price.

QDM Option 

This option requires $250 fee, in addition to the hunt price, paid prior to hunt. If a buck is wounded or harvested, no matter the size, fee is forfeited. If no buck is wounded or harvested, fee is returned at the end of the hunt.

Trophy Option 

This option is intended to encourage true trophy hunting and requires $500 fee, in addition to the hunt price, paid prior to hunt. If a buck scoring less than 140" is harvested, the fee is forfeited. If a buck scoring 140" or greater is harvested, the fee is returned. If no buck is harvested at all, the fee is also returned at the end of the hunt.

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Filled your deer tag early how about pheasants, turkey or elk?

 We had a very mild winter here again for the second year in a row. This year has been a bit colder, especially in February and March but very little snow here! That is really good news for the pheasants. April and May were quite dry.

Spring quickly warmed to summer and baby pheasants are beginning to appear along the roadsides again. It has been warm this hatching season. Hopefully it will stay this warm so the chicks won't get too cold.

I have continued to improve the farms I have under lease and management here in NE Iowa. They have tremendous cover on them now. It will undoubtedly be some of the best cover you have ever hunted! Huge tracts of CRP striped with switch grass cover strips and corn/sorghum food plots.

My rates for hunting in 2007-08 will again be just $75.00 per gun per day. I also have tracts that I will lease to individuals for the season. Season rates depend on the size of the tract, number of hunters, etc. So call for details on that. Currently Iowa pheasant season opens October 29th and runs to January 10th.

I have lots of land in IA and MN. I'm working on leasing properties in WI. I have nearly 10,000 acres total that are available to me, but at present only a few acres in WI. Parcels are ranging in size from over 1,000 contiguous acres on down. You will have plenty of un-pressured land for your hunt(s). All my land is private and managed.

There are very nice motels available here for $40.00 - $60.00 per day. For a hunt group of 3 or more, I would suggest one of the houses that are available. These cost (approx.) $25.00-$30.00/ person/ day. (Minimum stays apply) These are fully furnished homes, NOT just backwoods cabins! Very nice

Roosters, oh yeah they have a few to say the least. I've hunted all over and have yet to see land as nice as it is out here. This is as good as it gets as far as I’m concerned, in fact I feel that hunting anywhere else just will not come close to this. I have yet to experience a bad hunt it's like a whole other world out here! This is just one of the nice roosters I harvested out here during my hunt, and I can't wait to come back! 

 Thanks for your recent interest to hunt NE Iowa. We have the best Trophy potential in the state here in NE Iowa and probably the best in the country. I have some of the very best properties in NE Iowa leased and under management. We always have a large number of mature toms here with the largest birds reaching an amazing 30 pounds!!! 

We have hunting land in IA and MN. We have nearly 4,000 acres total that are available. The land parcels range in size from over 1,000 contiguous acres on down. You will have plenty of un-pressured land for your hunt(s). All my land is private and managed. 

Hunts are $350.00 per state, apply for both Iowa and MN I will give a $50.00 per state discount, plus the cost of your lodging. You get 4-5 hunt days per state. Seasons can overlap, so do your own scheduling of seasons. Let me know what dates you are considering and then send $100.00 per hunter to book your dates. 

Turkey Season Dates: 

Season 1 April 16 - 19 

Season 2 Now open!

 Season 3 April 25 - May 

Season 4 May 2 - 20

Hunt ID: IA-WDeerTurkeyPheasantsElk-All-ITWO-Waterville-Randy

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