Ames

tmule88

tmule88

Member
Hello what a awesome site I am new to it. I am going to school in Ames next year at ISU and wondering if anyone can tell me some good public ground or if anyone knows any land owners I can get ahold of. During bow season I am going to get very ichy to hunt and cant afford to drive 4 hours home every weekend. You other college kids would probably understand.
Thanks
 
I will be graduating from ISU in May. There is tons of public land north, and south of Boone. Look on the DNR web page there is a link to maps and public land. What will your major be?
 
Welcome to the site, you'll love it
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Like wernerjd said, plenty of public ground around. If you want to drive 20 minutes you can be on the saylorville access as well which is giant.
 
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I am going to school in Ames next year at ISU.......

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What, you couldn't get into a real college?

Welcome to the site, there are lots of folks on here familliar with that area. Some of them hunt public ground on Saturday afternoons in the fall becasue they know all the other ISU fans will be wasting their time watching the Sillyclones try to play football.

Sorry, I just couldn't resist.

The 'Bonker
 
Dont mind the 'Bonker, for gosh shakes look where he is from. He is our local "Special" Patient.

I would just start knocking on doors, only thing they could say "NO", "Yes", or "How much money ya got"
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What, you couldn't get into a real college?

Welcome to the site, there are lots of folks on here familliar with that area. Some of them hunt public ground on Saturday afternoons in the fall becasue they know all the other ISU fans will be wasting their time watching the Sillyclones try to play football.

Sorry, I just couldn't resist.

The 'Bonker

[/ QUOTE ]
 
You won't get on any private ground around Ames or Boone, unless you are a Local. I can guarantee yah that one, Unless you have deep pockets. I went to school there for god knows how many years, I kind of felt like Van Wilder, but anyways the only word of advise is, I hope you like walking!!
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Lots of great public land available. Get a Sportsman's Atlas at wallyworld and it will show all of the offerings. Get a cheap flatbottom boat and a 5 HP Briggs and Stratton outboard and you gain access to all of the public land the Des Moines river offers. I live in Boone, during motorcycle season we are known to frequent the Main Street Brewery in Ames. Do you like beer?
 
ah old main brewery, my favorite place on wednesday nights, dollar pints of locally brewed beer, and if you get a chance to meet the brewmaster, he has been known to shoot a deer or two
 
I graduated from ISU many, many years ago, but we hunted Holst State Forest (NW of Boone) and did very well. Surprisingly for being public hunting, there was very little pressure.

We also hunted the 4-H camp and the Iowa Arboretum (SW of Ames). I'm not sure the 4-H camp allows hunting any longer, but at that time we offered to cut trees all summer for the right to hunt. We saw some really big deer in there. The Iowa Arboretum borders the 4-H camp and I think they charged us something like $10 to bow hunt. Keep in mind that this information is from almost 20 years ago.

Good luck and have fun at ISU! Remember to study hard before hunting season. The rut is very hard on grades!
 
There is also alot of public ground where martyw is talking about.I use to hunt public ground that butted right up to the 4-H camp.Take hwy.17 south to Luther and the go east a few mile on E57.Like posted earlier go to walmart and pickup a sportsmans atlas,there is plenty of public land from Boone to Saylorville lake.Just be ready to do some walking.
 
Hey thanks for all the replies. I will have to check out the sportsmans atlas as you guys were saying. Wernerjd I will be in Ag Systems Technology. I guess I will have do some public ground scouting once it gets closer to the season.
 
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I graduated from ISU many, many years ago, but we hunted Holst State Forest (NW of Boone) and did very well. Surprisingly for being public hunting, there was very little pressure.

We also hunted the 4-H camp and the Iowa Arboretum (SW of Ames). I'm not sure the 4-H camp allows hunting any longer, but at that time we offered to cut trees all summer for the right to hunt. We saw some really big deer in there. The Iowa Arboretum borders the 4-H camp and I think they charged us something like $10 to bow hunt. Keep in mind that this information is from almost 20 years ago.

Good luck and have fun at ISU! Remember to study hard before hunting season. The rut is very hard on grades!

[/ QUOTE ]From what I have been told, the 4H & arboretum now charge $200 per hunter to bowhunt and take only so many a year. Don't quote me but that is the word around Boone and Madrid from guys that seem to know.
 
After struggling with it last year, there's a good chance of bowhunting in the city this fall. You could get a hunt in and make your 8 O'clock class. You'll need to take the Bowhunter Ed class.
 
The bad thing about hunting public ground around there, and I know most will agree with me, is the damn 4-wheelers. My god, you can walk 45 minutes think you are away from everyone and have 5 four wheelers cruise by you during prime time. It will drive a man insane. That, and I don't mean to sound racist, but there is alot of Asian men that walk around "SQUIRREL" hunting with high powers and every sort of gun you can imagine, shooting at everything that moves. It sure doesn't make a man feel very comfortable sitting in a tree. It seems like you will have 1 good sit during the rut for every 3 that are ruined by either a four wheeler, SQUIRREL hunter, or some yahoo walking around.
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Bingo!!!
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That's what drives me crazy, they could care less if it is illegal and the DNR doesn't seem to care that they do it either. I wouldn't mind if they did it 9 months out of the year, but when hunting season comes, I wish they would just stay out of the woods.
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Sounds like those spike strips that cops throw out in front of cars would put an end to that. Not that I am suggesting such behavior; well maybe.
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