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How are crops holding up?

Ryan Smith

Member
I've been following the state rainfall through the Iowa State University chart. My father and i drew zone 4 after years of waiting for the coveted Iowa tag. My concern is growing with each day worrying about your crops and mast. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated... Thanks all.
 
Not so sure about zone 4. Rain has been hit and miss there. Read Lamoni area is not good maybe 5 inch deficit for the year but most of Iowa south of I-80 has some kind of suffering. Now as you head east gets worse and worse. Zone 5 mostly a disaster. Ottumwa area almost a 10 inch deficit for the year in moisture. Deer will be lucky to find green grass in NOV if this keeps up!
 
Deer will be breed the first week of November no matter what , you'll be fine . It's dry but the corn will still do 80% plus of it's potentional in my neck of the woods . I havent heard of any parts of iowa really really burning up like western NE or SD . I'm from SW Iowa if that helps . Good luck . Put the time in you'll see nice bucks .
 
You'll be fine in Zone 4. Even the driest areas there will have ample crops. The deer won't be hungry, and as stated will be breeding on schedule... Good luck!
 
You havent heard of any parts of Iowa really burningup?? Hey drive over to the Ottumwa area last 2 yrs a deficit of 19 inches. I know other areas of Iowa are marginally dry. I was up in the DesMoines area this week and they are talking about how dry its getting? Heck its green up there! Drive around Oskaloosa and Ottumwa ya wanna see dry. The weeds in my fields are litterally turning brown. Grass gone. Corn short with enpty ears. Beans no pods.
 
IMG_5555.JPG Ryan--it's dry in Zone 4. Neighbor snapped pic of my farm and beans are doing pretty good actually.

However, it's been dry since and he said pasture and hay ground-- hurting!

No real rain chances in next week, definitely could turn worse.
 
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Hey that field looks great! Compared to over here. Pastures are dead. Weeds even brown. We have been called the driest area in Iowa on WHO Big Show.
 
I wouldn't worry about the amount of feed available. Even in a really dry year there is plenty of feed available in Iowa.
 
Thank you all for replies. It seems its so hit and miss from farm to farm because other than passing thunderstorms you guys are thirsty. I hope you all have luck with the rest of the summer. I'll just have to adapt to the feed in the area I'm hunting once I get out to you guys neck of the woods. We will arrive on October 29.
 
Good luck , you will be arriving in the prime time . Are you going public land or ? Keep us posted when you get here !
 
My father, best friend, and I drew together as a group. We are going public land. My best friend and I each have 1 year old boys so spending a few thousand $$ extra was not in the cards this time. We are staying in Mount Ayr. So Sand Creek, Mt Ayr WMA, and Ringgold wma are all on our radar. I also saw on the interactive atlas there is a place called Boone Woods which is over near Blockton. If anyone has any info they are willing to share on any of those areas I'd be very grateful.
 
My father, best friend, and I drew together as a group. We are going public land. My best friend and I each have 1 year old boys so spending a few thousand $$ extra was not in the cards this time. We are staying in Mount Ayr. So Sand Creek, Mt Ayr WMA, and Ringgold wma are all on our radar. I also saw on the interactive atlas there is a place called Boone Woods which is over near Blockton. If anyone has any info they are willing to share on any of those areas I'd be very grateful.

There is some public up by Thayer --small chunks--that might be good too.
 
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