zenhunter
New Member
Well Iowa is in the rear-view mirror now...
It was a good hunt, though I never did get a shooter buck anywhere near my stand (despite setting up one of the seven stands by a monster rub). Saw plenty of does and small bucks, and filled my doe tag with a nice fat one. She didn't go more than 25 yards, so I was pleased with the shot. Did an OK job at gutting my first whitetail, though it was kinda like reading about surgery and then trying to perform it.
My partner arrowed a nice 146-inch buck. It came up a hill between us and just veered toward his stand instead of mine. It was pretty exciting to watch the whole thing unfold -- to see the buck looking for the source of the grunting, see the hit and be able to watch exactly where the deer went into the timber and lay down, the white antlers doing that slow circle before dropping down behind some thorn bushes. All live, not on a video for once.
The weather didn't help I guess. Too hot at first (70s), then icy rain and wind. Never been in a skinny tree in a 30mph wind before...who needs a roller coaster ride after that!? My partner said all the standing corn didn't help either.
Overall, I think I went with overly high expectations. Had visions of "shopping" for the right buck. Whitetail hunting is definitely harder than it looks on all the videos. I guess 12 1/2 days in treestands is just paying your dues.
With Iowa being an every three year draw, I guess I'll have to go for round two somewhere else next year. But I really liked Iowa...the pork tenderloins, mmmm-mmmm. And the little old ladies coming up to us and saying "good luck, hope you kill a bunch of them!" was something I NEVER get to experience in California. Everyone was very nice. It did start to wear on me that I'd come draggin' in from being out in the cold and rain all day in a tree, and every store clerk, waitress, etc. would chirp "you oughta hunt my back porch, there's big bucks all over my yard."
Forget the fields and crops, next time I'm hunting back porches!
Well, thanks for letting me hunt your state. I'll think of Iowa when I'm eating my corn-fed doe during the holidays.
Neil
It was a good hunt, though I never did get a shooter buck anywhere near my stand (despite setting up one of the seven stands by a monster rub). Saw plenty of does and small bucks, and filled my doe tag with a nice fat one. She didn't go more than 25 yards, so I was pleased with the shot. Did an OK job at gutting my first whitetail, though it was kinda like reading about surgery and then trying to perform it.
My partner arrowed a nice 146-inch buck. It came up a hill between us and just veered toward his stand instead of mine. It was pretty exciting to watch the whole thing unfold -- to see the buck looking for the source of the grunting, see the hit and be able to watch exactly where the deer went into the timber and lay down, the white antlers doing that slow circle before dropping down behind some thorn bushes. All live, not on a video for once.
The weather didn't help I guess. Too hot at first (70s), then icy rain and wind. Never been in a skinny tree in a 30mph wind before...who needs a roller coaster ride after that!? My partner said all the standing corn didn't help either.
Overall, I think I went with overly high expectations. Had visions of "shopping" for the right buck. Whitetail hunting is definitely harder than it looks on all the videos. I guess 12 1/2 days in treestands is just paying your dues.
With Iowa being an every three year draw, I guess I'll have to go for round two somewhere else next year. But I really liked Iowa...the pork tenderloins, mmmm-mmmm. And the little old ladies coming up to us and saying "good luck, hope you kill a bunch of them!" was something I NEVER get to experience in California. Everyone was very nice. It did start to wear on me that I'd come draggin' in from being out in the cold and rain all day in a tree, and every store clerk, waitress, etc. would chirp "you oughta hunt my back porch, there's big bucks all over my yard."
Forget the fields and crops, next time I'm hunting back porches!
Well, thanks for letting me hunt your state. I'll think of Iowa when I'm eating my corn-fed doe during the holidays.
Neil
