Buck Quality in Iowa over the last 5, 10, 20 years??

[Liv4Rut]

Some areas better, some areas worse for me. All depends on the area. The numbers of deer have definitely dropped. Hunter pressure is sky high. It is hard to even get in a good late season public hunt without guys walking through shed hunting try to beat the crowd. I believe I saw a lot more big bucks 10 years ago then now but I also hunted everyday back then and very little now so I am sure that has a lot to do with it. I think it 10 years it is going to be crowded everywhere unless you own your ground or got a lease.

 

[Daver]

Daver, good points. But, do you really think there are that many more 3 and 4 year olds now than there were 20 years ago? Or were they there then, but without cameras and the amount of time spent chasing them now...they just weren't seen like they are today? The general consensus sounds like there were fewer hunters...so I'm just wondering if it was more perception than reality that there were fewer 3 to 4 year olds than there are now?

I can only give my opinion and it is of course heavily biased by my personal observations, but yes, in general, I think that there are many more 3 and 4 year old bucks today than there were say 20 years ago. But this is highly situational and location specific. The main area that I did 90%+ of my deer hunting 20'ish years ago almost never had a 3 year old on it back then. Between myself and several other guys, sans trail cams of course , we just simply did not see bucks in that age class hardly ever.

I remember one year that there was a 160'ish "in the neighborhood" and we all were after him and he lasted about 3 weeks until one of the neighbors got him. When we weren't sitting in stands, we were running drives...a lot. There were good deer numbers, but very few older bucks. There were a number of pretty effective deer slayers, if not very selective.

To my recollection, I was the first one to "pass" a clear shot at a buck in that neighborhood, due to some reading that I had been doing during the early stages of popularization of deer management. My fellow hunters were aghast that anyone would not shoot a buck. This was about 18-20 years ago.

That exact same neighborhood now produces at least 3 or 4 140"+ bucks per year, that I know about, including some that are well above 150". There were none back then, that we ever saw, even though we were out there all season long. The difference...no deer drives during archery season to speak of, several property owners self restricting on buck shooting, multiple food plots and other habitat improvements.

 

[60plus]

In the areas I hunt its as good or better than it ever has been for older deer. These are areas that I have hunted for over 40 years. Two reasons IMO. One is the simple fact that there are simply more deer than there were, although the population has leveled off now. The other reason that is specific to the areas I hunt, is the fact that a lot of the land around these areas, has been developed with a lot of houses, but it hasn't really had a negative impact on the deer habitat. But Gun hunting has dramatically been reduced over the years, to the point that some big timber areas see no gun hunting at all. Therefore the 2-3yr olds have a better chance to see 4-5-6.

 

[bowhuntia]

The Giant 170-200 class are harder to come by today than 20 years ago.
Simply put you cannot grow 170-200 if your neighbors will not lay off the 150-170.
I no, i no.... a 150-170 is bigger than most people see in a lifetime.

15-20 year ago my goal was to have a net boone in bow range ever fall.
Maybe not get him Killed....but aleast in range....today not realityAgain because the 150-170 is all my many neighbors can dream of.
Yes they are trophys, but it is reality for why everyone doesnt see 170-200
15-20 year ago i did not have these neighbors

 

[Hardwood11]

Iowa

Some areas better, some areas worse for me. All depends on the area. The numbers of deer have definitely dropped. Hunter pressure is sky high. It is hard to even get in a good late season public hunt without guys walking through shed hunting try to beat the crowd. I believe I saw a lot more big bucks 10 years ago then now but I also hunted everyday back then and very little now so I am sure that has a lot to do with it. I think it 10 years it is going to be crowded everywhere unless you own your ground or got a lease.

I think your last sentence is correct. It is getting more crowded and if you do not own or lease property it will be more difficult to get access. Minnesota is worse yet, hunters in every little piece of cover.

That being said, let's hope youth take up the sport, and keep it vibrant!

 

[Truth&Honest]

15-20 year ago i did not have these neighbors

Spot on here with the neighbor issue.

1- guys that control a lot of land, 500+ acres, are seeing older deer....or are lucky to have good neighbors with big land control.
or my situation
2- the opposite has happened, every 5-80 acres has a hard core bowhunter, or two. The seasons start in September and run through January now....used to be, those 3-4 year old 130-160's only had to survive me and 2 weeks of shotgun season. Half or better would make it through, giving 2-3 older bucks the next season. NOW, all these new hardcore guys have the 3-4 year olds on trail cam, and they hunt and hunt, get frustrated by December, and whack all the 3-4 years olds during the 2 month gun season. Throw in the usual poaching, and old mature bucks are rare around me now.