2nd shotgun season thoughts

[sethgade280]

I just got the word that I got my shotgun tag. I only bow hunted and muzzleloaded iowa. What can i expect for this season?? bucks still pushin?? hunt more in the woods or still hunt over the food?? the land isn't pressured and there are a ton of big deer in there. Thoughts would be great.

 

[JNRBRONC]

I'd be tempted to sit in the thickest spot possible, waiting for bucks that got pushed from elsewhere.

 

[Daver]

I'd be tempted to sit in the thickest spot possible, waiting for bucks that got pushed from elsewhere.

Bronc's plan is a good one, but if you are truly hunting an unpressured area, then you want a cold, cold day and hunting them in the afternoon as they go for food is your best bet.

 

[JNRBRONC]

Bronc's plan is a good one, but if you are truly hunting an unpressured area, then you want a cold, cold day and hunting them in the afternoon as they go for food is your best bet.

Ok, sit between the thickest cover and the food. :way:

I'm doubting there are large enough tracts for a BIG deer to not notice something is up by second shotgun season, but I might be surprised.

 

[sethgade280]

Thanks guys. Good ideas. I think I know where I should go. Thick cedars bordering a secluded 100 acre bean field no one can see or hunt. Thanks again.

 

[dedgeez]

Thanks guys. Good ideas. I think I know where I should go. Thick cedars bordering a secluded 100 acre bean field no one can see or hunt. Thanks again.

No offense, but you can tell that you dont live in Iowa. Its 2nd shotgun season, everything gets hunted! I have been in Iowa for 3.5 years now and have access to a ton of ground that is as "private" as it gets and no matter what though, we have to boot people every year! It will seriously piss you off, but unfortunately unless you can monitor your property 24/7, it will get walked on. We found 3 dead deer on one of our NE Iowa farms that had all been shot off the road, antlers cut off, and the rest just left. I am not able to monitor that farm all the time and people seem to know this,so they take advantage of an amazing piece of ground that has no one watching it. By no means am I saying that everyone shotgun hunter is like this, for the most part they are all ethical and respectful, its just those certain few that you would like to strangle :thrwrck:I surely hope this isnt the case for you, but dont be surprised if you have a run in opening day. Its actually kind of a rush approaching a bunch of guys with guns good luck and congrats on your tag, hope you kill an Iowa giant!

 

[sethgade280]

I hear you there. I know that the land gets walked on...i have gotten cameras stolen my first year of ownership. Last year i had a group of guys hunt the property to watch over it. they didn't hear or see any one, but I know that people know when I am there and not. The good thing is that there are more than enough big bucks walking around so hopefully one of them come past. I only need 1!!!!

 

[JNRBRONC]

I hear you there. I know that the land gets walked on...i have gotten cameras stolen my first year of ownership. Last year i had a group of guys hunt the property to watch over it. they didn't hear or see any one, but I know that people know when I am there and not. The good thing is that there are more than enough big bucks walking around so hopefully one of them come past. I only need 1!!!!

But therein lies the rub; even if there are plenty of big deer, they are going to be on alert by second season. Pray for bad weather to get them on their feet before dark, headed for food.

 

[cedar creek]

It takes a good deal of luck to kill a respectable buck during second season shotgun.

 

[DannyBoy]

I agree, pray for some cold cold weather, a few inches of snow and a light breeze! I like all the ideas I've seen so far. Hunt the thick stuff and the secluded food sources but be SURE to study some topos of your property and all surrounding it to find likely travel corridors the big boys would use to get to your unpressured ground.

I'd be tempted to post up right on the edge of your property line somewhere, in the morning when people are pushing deer the hardest, in one of these travel corridors where you have some good, open shooting in several directions. Then let the deer settle down in the afternoon and hunt the food in the evening.

 

[sethgade280]

Man, thanks for all the input. you guys make alot of sense.

 

[Hardwood11]

Trespassers

I hear you there. I know that the land gets walked on...i have gotten cameras stolen my first year of ownership. Last year i had a group of guys hunt the property to watch over it. they didn't hear or see any one, but I know that people know when I am there and not. The good thing is that there are more than enough big bucks walking around so hopefully one of them come past. I only need 1!!!!

That is really sad. I have only had one trespasser in 10 years of farm ownership in MN. What is the deal, why do people not respect property rights in Iowa? Are the punishments to lenient? The December gun season structure? What makes it so bad in Iowa?

 

[jjohnson]

That is really sad. I have only had one trespasser in 10 years of farm ownership in MN. What is the deal, why do people not respect property rights in Iowa? Are the punishments to lenient? The December gun season structure? What makes it so bad in Iowa?

$35 trespass ticket

 

[JNRBRONC]

I'd be tempted to post up right on the edge of your property line somewhere, in the morning when people are pushing deer the hardest, in one of these travel corridors where you have some good, open shooting in several directions. Then let the deer settle down in the afternoon and hunt the food in the evening.

I like this approach as well, though if it's too open right on the property line, the deer might go by full throttle. Might be better to be back in a little cover so that they might have slowed down some (if they are pushed hard instead of trying to sneak out ahead of the hunters).

One of the properties I hunt usually has orange on the other side of the fence.

 

[Daver]

That is really sad. I have only had one trespasser in 10 years of farm ownership in MN. What is the deal, why do people not respect property rights in Iowa? Are the punishments to lenient? The December gun season structure? What makes it so bad in Iowa?

I think our yesteryear deer hunting culture, particularly during the "let's get the gang together and round up some venison" early December slug seasons, still "remembers" a time when it was fairly common for big groups of slug gun hunters to literally line up and push across big stretches of ground with little regard to individual landowners along the way.

There were enough permissive landowners that the groups had a place to set up and go through that even if there were a few non-permissive landowners along the way it really did not influence them much. Realistically, it's not everyone that is going to confront a large, well armed group that may even have a bit of a reputation, etc... So there is some history of that style of deer hunting that people still base off of in some cases.

I hunted in South Texas once several years ago and the understanding there was that you didn't even THINK about crossing a fence over to ground you didn't have permission on. For a variety of reasons, but I would sum it up and call it culture, trespassing was not at all common or tolerated.

Perceived penalties, or a lack of them, whether in the form of hefty fines or risk of getting confronted by someone else, etc, influence the psyche of potential trespassers. I suspect South Texas has been "tough" on trespassing for a number of years now relative to how things have generally been in our state. Generally speaking, Iowa has not been too tough on trespassers in the past. Deer hunting has been more of a social thing in many cases and many landowners did not care OR enforce their property rights that aggressively.

Nowadays that is changing more and more though as people that either own, or control via leasing, ground that they "care" about what happens to the deer herd are influencing things more.

 

[Hardwood11]

trespassing

Daver: Very well put, I think history must play a big part in it. The december gun season, means pushing deer (drives). I rarely see that in MN, even though many hunters used to drive deer in my area years ago. I still here of some chaotic deer drives in southern mn, with pickups and very little regard for private property.

I guess when it comes down to it, most hunters follow the law but some do not. I spend most of my time bowhunting, so I cannot relate to the massive deer drives and trespassing that takes place, seems dangerous.

 

[DannyBoy]

Anyone ever tried using a doe decoy during shotgun season? Maybe if used in the open on a secluded food source it might make pressured deer feel a little more comfortable coming out in the open before last light...? Or maybe it would make them nervous or attract unwanted attention... Just a thought.

 

[hillrunner]

Anyone ever tried using a doe decoy during shotgun season? Maybe if used in the open on a secluded food source it might make pressured deer feel a little more comfortable coming out in the open before last light...? Or maybe it would make them nervous or attract unwanted attention... Just a thought.

I would be very careful using a decoy during gun season.

 

[DannyBoy]

I would be very careful using a decoy during gun season.

Ya, that's why I made the point about attracting unwanted attention or only using on a secluded food source... but really, is anything "secluded" during shotgun season? I guess there are no guarantees...

 

[Liv4Rut]

I have shotgun hunted quite a bit and I have had the best luck hunting the funnels that lead into a property from outside properties. I typically let the properties I hunt fill up with deer and then I try to readjust after all the driving of the other properties is over. I typically move to the areas inbetween the bedding and feeding.

I think the problem with trespassing is simply 50% of the people only get out and hunt that time of year. A lot of times they get invited along etc and really have no clue about trespassing or even hunting for that matter. That doesn't mean other guys in the group don't. On one of our farms the local farmers know when we are gone and as soon as we are they always run a push through our place. It sucks, but we aren't down there 24/7.

Goodluck!! I would also use the muzzleloader for the long shot!!