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

[Sligh1]

What's your take?? What has the buck quality been like in the past 5 years, even 20? Big difference? Not necessarily the lack of does & deer period in certain areas - though I do understand they go together. Mainly, the giant 190" bruisers, the older 5.5+ bucks in your neighborhood- has that type of thing become less or more common over the years? Are more folks hunting and also shooting the 2.5-3.5 studs that someday WOULD HAVE become those mature giant bucks? Or is it better? Basically, what's been your experience (and why you think the reasons are?) on the amount of MATURE (5.5+) bucks you see in a season or the amount of monsters - over the last 5, 10 or 20 years? I'll leave my experience out of this for now - wanna hear from others.

 

[6x6]

I have been hunting this area of Monona county since 1995. Back in the 90's I dont think there were as many hunters per sq mile and not steady, from mid sept-mid jan. Alot of big deer were killed every year, but most were from shotgun drives. Just seeing the 2012 bucks at the classic it's obvious the bucks are as big as ever but I think the competition and pressure has increased, for sure. I think the big groups are now shooting more does and less small bucks than before. They also dont have the huge areas to run anymore, since so much has been broke up and everyone is doing there own thing. My kids, friends and I are killing our best bucks ever lately, but that is just from trial and error, and not making as many foolish mistakes.

 

[Rich77]

In our area there is a major increase in the number of big mature bucks being killed.
There are still people killing fork horns and a lot of 2.5 and 3.5 yr olds but that comes with the territory, not everone is out to kill a giant.
The majority of hunters that have shot a few decent 3.5 yr olds are now holding out for the big guys and passing on the younger age class bucks.
In the last five years there have been more deer over the 165-170" range than I can ever remember. The proof is out there whether it be trail camera pics, big sheds, or a busy taxidermy shop, I belive there are more bucks making it into the 5.5 yr old range and that is great in my opinion, but it isn't for everone. I've always told people that as long as they are happy with what they kill than I'm just as happy for them.
This year I personally passed 3 deer that would score higher than anything I have on the wall during late muzzy, but I know they were 3-4 yr olds that will hopefully pack on another pile of inches and reach their full potential in the years to come.
To each his own as long as people are still hunting for what ever makes them happy, but for me that's a mature buck in the 5+ yr old category

 

[miggy09]

In our group in se Iowa I'm seeing a lot of improvement. Not necessarily in the size of bucks in the area, but what we are shooting. I'm only 22 so I don't have near the experience a lot of you guys do. But I've been shotgun hunting with this group since I was 14 and bowhunting on my own for several years too. For as long as I remember, we keep the racks of the bucks we shoot if they're not "mountable." Sitting here looking back at those racks from past years, they seem to get bigger every year and some of them are bucks all of my group would pass on today. I'd say I'm seeing larger bucks each year as well. In the bow stand, shotgun drives, and especially trail cams as well. I'm assuming it has a lot to do with my group getting more picky over the years and the good ole "let it go let it grow" mentality.

 

[Hardwood11]

Neighbor shot 5 bucks with party tags, there are still a few mature bucks that made it, but that obviously hurts.

So far no real improvement on my farm since I bought it, I need more food plots and some habitat improvements!!

 

[skyleralan]

I would say it probably hasn't changed much just more knowledge and recognition of those deer due to forums like this and social media. You will have a few select farms were more land management for bigger deer is taking place, but overall I don't think it has changed much. I think the DNR and the regulations put into place have done more in growing big deer than land owners alone. I believe do to social media and how mainstream hunting in Iowa has become I think it will impact our mature deer numbers. I truly believe because of the attention that deer hunting in Iowa gets we will continue to see fewer big deer and trespassing and poaching will continue to rise. We not only have that working against us, but also the demand for corn, which is killing habitat (not to mention insurance companies or EHD).

Again, part of me might just be pessimistic, but who knows.

 

[SEIowaDeerslayer]

I'd say its better than ever in my areas based off of trail camera evidence. Definitely more pressure though. Our neighbors are all committed to taking mature bucks only but since there is a hunter in the tree every 80 acres, when the bucks get old they tend to go nocturnal.

 

[camo658]

I would say it probably hasn't changed much just more knowledge and recognition of those deer due to forums like this and social media. You will have a few select farms were more land management for bigger deer is taking place, but overall I don't think it has changed much. I think the DNR and the regulations put into place have done more in growing big deer than land owners alone. I believe do to social media and how mainstream hunting in Iowa has become I think it will impact our mature deer numbers. I truly believe because of the attention that deer hunting in Iowa gets we will continue to see fewer big deer and trespassing and poaching will continue to rise. We not only have that working against us, but also the demand for corn, which is killing habitat (not to mention insurance companies or EHD).

Again, part of me might just be pessimistic, but who knows.

I agree 100%... You got less cover, more people = More Big Bucks Killed or atleast, more opportunities to kill bigger bucks (3.5 and up)

But this will not last.. It will be like this in the beginning with more big deer being killed but pretty soon with continued improper management (shed buck season, NR loopholes, shooting younger deer, shooting more does etc.) and Killing what habitat there is will lead to fewer big deer and deer period.

 

[KnuckleDragr]

I think it really depends on the location. With more management minded hunters and landowners, there certainly are more mature bucks in those areas. Mainly the more rural areas such as southern and southeastern Iowa. In areas with more human population, I have seen the opposite. One spot that I hunt I used to see a couple 5.5 or better bucks. Over the last 10 years I feel lucky to see a 3.5. Mostly due to more bowhunters in the area. Acreages are generally smaller with hunters on every one of them. I think those people realize that it is a 3.5 or tag soup, so they shoot. I have no problem with people shooting whatever makes them happy, but the big ones are clearly gone. But even in those rural areas it seems like the number of bowhunters is on the rise. I guess time will tell if we are headed in the right direction or not.

 

[loneranger]

Strange,,some say there are less kids getting into hunting, less hunters. Others say more hunters all the time. My area of Se-IA, since I have been here,,,9 yrs,,, I have seen more take up the bow. First couple yrs out here I would see days of 3 or 4 different-- 2 yr old bucks, during the rut. Then it dropped off to 3 or 4 two yr olds for the month of Nov. Last season it picked up a bit. As far as 5 yr olds. I see one,,,about every other year. but I know,,have been told, I am in one of the poorest spots in SE Iowa. Just a few miles away hunting is much different. Multiple land owners, in state and out, that are managing land just for good deer. That makes the difference.

 

[hans1]

My take on this is in my area Monroe and appanoose county. There are at least twice the number of bucks over 5 as there was in the early 90s when I started hunting in iowa.The differents is at least 5 times the people hunting them. There is also more property's that have high end management than ever so not as evenly distributed as back then.the mature bucks aren't as visible as they were probably due to more serious pressure.

 

[Windwalker]

Shotgunners finally are letting the 120s walk . Now if they would let the 130s to 140s go maybe something could grow up.

 

[sureshot]

Better than ever!

 

[treerat]

My take on this is in my area Monroe and appanoose county. There are at least twice the number of bucks over 5 as there was in the early 90s when I started hunting in iowa.The differents is at least 5 times the people hunting them. There is also more property's that have high end management than ever so not as evenly distributed as back then.the mature bucks aren't as visible as they were probably due to more serious pressure.

Similar to my experience in NE Iowa. This past year I had three bucks over 170" on camera going in to the bow season which was unheard of 10 years ago. However, they were all dead before gun season. I think there is a better opportunity to tag a giant these days, but chances are you are not the only bowhunter after him.

 

[doublerack]

In the places I hunt, the quality of genetics has always been good. The difference I've seen is that more poeple are "trying" to pass up younger bucks. WHich they are. But 2 things are happening. Before, when they would see a 130-140" 3yr old and shoot it, they would be done and out early. By letting them walk, these hunters are putting more time in stand increasing there chances at seeing a quality buck. So, those solid 3yr olds are making it and we are seeing more and more good 150-160" 4yr old bucks. Bucks that for most people are impossible to pass, but for knowledgeable experienced hunters are the cream of next years crop.
On the other hand, that extra time in stand has helped seal the fate on a couple of the bigger old mature bucks that can normally slip through the craks.
SO..... while I've seen a decrease in the older mature Big (170-180") bucks, I've seen a great increase in the middle age class bucks. The last 3 or 4 years we've seen a lot of good 4yr old bucks. Hopefully as hunters around me focus on letting bucks walk, we will get to the point where there are more quality 5 yr old deer on our farms.
But... this will lead me to another question, How many quality "mature" bucks can really co exist on any given farm? Lets face it, most bucks on a given farm usually know who the boss is, and if it's not them, or they don't know their roll as a subordinate, they either leave willingly, or get ran out.

 

[hoosierhunter]

, How many quality "mature" bucks can really co exist on any given farm? Lets face it, most bucks on a given farm usually know who the boss is, and if it's not them, or they don't know their roll as a subordinate, they either leave willingly, or get ran out.

I think on average it was around 1 for every 600 acres. Now that is Texas deer. I think areas in Iowa shrink this to as low as 300 acres just because of cover. There also is attitude factor which means two type A personality deer won't get along, but type Bs can. A ton a variables for sure.

 

[Daver]

My take on this is in my area Monroe and appanoose county. There are at least twice the number of bucks over 5 as there was in the early 90s when I started hunting in iowa.The differents is at least 5 times the people hunting them. There is also more property's that have high end management than ever so not as evenly distributed as back then.the mature bucks aren't as visible as they were probably due to more serious pressure.

This ^^^^ would describe my thoughts pretty well too, although I have never hunted in these two counties. It is interesting to think of how things have changed over the past 20 years or so. A few of my primary thoughts...

1. Trail cams/surveillence - when someone saw a monster buck 20 years ago it was usually a big surprise to the hunter at the time and often big talk after the hunt with buddies. No one I knew had anything like a trail camera at that time. The only deer you knew about were ones that you had seen in person most likely. Now, when a biggie steps on the scene, most folks refer to him by name and probably have multiple previous year sheds in their basement. What we as hunters know now in a given season is light years ahead of what we knew "back in the day". This allows people to focus on waiting for a big one v. hammering the first antlered buck in their range.

2. Management - I could go many directions here, but while there are still "if it's brown, it's down areas" to be found, it is also incredible to think about the acres now that are being managed at some level. When I first started bow hunting, no one I knew passed ANY racked buck, let alone a "nice one" that was say 120" or so and you would have been considered completely KRAYZEE to pass up something bigger than that yet.
Now it is isn't at all unheard of for someone to pass 150"+ in some situations.

3. Hunter IQ - many hunters today are WAY MORE skilled than what I remember from my early bow hunting career. With zillions of DVD's, seminars, books, websites like this one, on-line shows, etc, a serious hunter can really educate themselves quite well in a pretty short amount of time nowadays. Back in the day, it seemed like it took years for someone to learn the tricks of the trade and only a percentage of guys did develop into likely big buck killers, most were just "deer hunters", far less likely to shoot a real big buck on purpose.

I think there are way more 3 and 4 year olds around than 20 years ago and even some more older deer, but the focus on the big ones is 100x what it was. So in that way, they are harder to get for any one hunter on one particular farm, but since they are much more common, the numbers of "dandies" seems to go higher every year.

Now then, it is also clear to many of us that the late antlerless season has really hurt the overall numbers, which was the goal I guess, but also taken out numerous shed bucks in some areas. So results may vary, depending on the hunting activity and goals in your specific area.

 

[sep0667]

I would say overall it has gone up in the number of mature deer, but depends where you hunt. I live near DSM. I hunt a few acreages outside of city limits and nearly every acerage whether its 5 acres to 80, if it has some trees you can about gaurentee that someone(at least one person) is bowhunting it these days. I can remember when I was younger seeing some slobs when just out hiking around (yes I tresspassed before I knew what tresspassing even was) or in the car seeing deer out in the fields in the evenings. These days in the same area it is rare to see a big buck. There are just so many hunters for the smaller properties competing for the same deer it is tough to see a 3.5 or older now.

Now get away from there to larger parcels of property etc and I think the number has gone up. It is nearly looked down upon these days to shoot anything smaller than a 120s.

I'm in my early twenty's, so don't have much in sight to how it use to be. But, like Daver said, (I don't even know if there was or not) I doubt hardly anyone had trail cams 20 years ago, even 10 years ago. I think trail cams is something that has really taken off in the past 5 years or so. So years ago it was big deal to see a big deer, these days most people already know it is in the area before seeing it.
The other thing that I think has taken off is just the media of hunting. All the magazines, shows, dvds, facebook, sites like this. It seems as though the majority of these all focus around how to get on big deer and improve your odds of shooting a mature buck and only show pics of big deer. Such a focus has been put on that that most hunters these days would rather eat tag soup or shoot a doe. For these reasons more and more deer are reaching 3.5+.

 

[Full Draw]

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?

 

[flugge]

I think in Iowa it is always the same. The only factors that have changed is better equipment, more time to hunt, trail cameras, so on and so forth. I do think that the amount of people in the woods and all the technology has them more visible. But on a side note, I do think more people are in the woods because we all make more money, can take more time off, so on and so forth. Ten years ago, I maybe hunted 2 weeks during the entire season..This last year, I hunted almost 3 whole months.