2 questions, new in Iowa

[huntnfish21]

Is bow season pretty much over once shotgun season starts? The things I have been hearing is that everyone goes through the woods like bird hunters trying to kill every deer in the area. Is there any truth to this? Thanks for the replies if I get any.

 

[Limb Chicken]

Matt,
The bow season runs till January 10th, typically the rut slows and the gun season starts. Most of the hunting during shotgun season is "drive" hunting much like bird hunting. I don't know about killing every deer in the woods but typically the majority of the deer harvest is during the shotgun season.

The bigger bucks seem to find away around drive hunting and make it through the shotgun season and a week or two after it is over with some cold weather they will try to save all the calories they can by eating in the daylight hours again. This can be a great time to shoot a nice one. This also runs along with late muzzleloader season during which time driving deer is not as common of practice. Hope this answered your questions. Welcome to Iowa!

 

[deadeye]

I have bow hunted many times past shotgun season. I would say that right after shotgun season deer are really spooky. They do start to settle down as time passses. Hunt the active food sources and you can end up with something good yet. Good luck!

 

[teeroy]

bow season is closed from december 2-17, then starts back up. can't have bowhunters in stands when the slugs fly

 

[Ghost]

I would like to add that the style of shotgun hunting and the amount of hunting pressure the deer receive is very different in different areas. It is hard to generalize the state as a whole.

Many people gun hunt the same as they bow hunt and the deer may get very little orange army pressure.