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November date thoughts??

unicoidawg

unicoidawg

Member
Hey guys....... after 5yrs me and my best friend got our zone 6 tags. We drew with 4points this time, last time was 3. We have a friend that lives up in the area and we will be hunting with him on properties he has lined up for us. We go somewhere in the Midwest (usually Missouri) every year and we try to target our dates somewhere 4 or 5 days either side of Nov 7. This year the plan was/is going to be Nov 5,6-11,12ish. We have had good and bad luck with these dates over the years. It's been 15 and snowing one year and dang near 80 and sweating the next. Unfortunately, there looks to be a conflict on the horizon with the 5-12 week. We are now looking at possibly switching dates to Nov 12-19ish. Not set in stone, but high chance..... My question to you guys that live and hunt there year in and year out is this. What are your thoughts on those two sets of dates? Then if you could only choose one week to bow hunt Southern Iowa what would you choose. We will be coming either way just gotta figure out exactly when. Thanks for your responses.
 
After hunting the Midwest for years, I have changed what I always thought were the best days. I now prefer the last week of October with cool weather and any week in January. January requires that you have good food sources and accept seeing some broken racks. January is deadly with food! In your situation, just try to avoid lockdown by verifying those traditional days with guys who hunt that county. Good luck.
 
After 4 yrs in se iowa i would definitely take last week of oct over scrapes n food and then wait till 17th thru 24th! Not fond of 1st 6 days of nov either! Biggest bucks already have girl friends alot of times!

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That later date will prove better for mature bucks for sure. I generally don’t think it is as active but I do think you have A better shot at a slob those days!
 
November 12 sitting high up on a doe bedding ridge is hard to beat imo.
I sure wouldn't trade it for October sitting over food unless you know the weather will be in your favor and you've got secluded plots without pressure.
 
It really depends on the property and the weather ! Cold and not too windy (I like November 4-11)

I was fortunate to shoot a big one in Iowa on Nov 6 in 70 degree weather. However, I hunted the edge of a 120 acre freshly combined corn field, and I had a hot doe hanging around.

The best buck days are usually cold and not high winds. November 7-8 are often very good !
 
Last week in October and last two weeks of November. I haven't been real fond of November 1st-17th ish. To me, the big ones are locked down and its mainly younger bucks out looking during those first two weeks in November. Your later dates are what I'd prefer between those two options. Good luck!
 
Nov 5th - 12th. If I couldn’t hunt those days then 12th - 25th. Last week in October if cold is always good too. Seems like most big ones are on their feet mid-end of November in daylight from trail cams throughout the years. Probably not gonna see as many but they’ll be the better ones
 
The last week of October with a red moon this year is going to be hard to beat for evening hunts.

Just hope the weather cooperates..

If November, I like 1 - 9th. And then 20th - 26th.
 
I’ve had great luck 11/04 - 11/12. Last years day Walker was 11/05 at 2 pm. If had to narrow it down to a few dates my logs show 11/08 to 11/11. Idk. Get out there the month of November
 
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Much good input here already. But I would add that in my experience..."it depends"... :)

I have hunted now for enough years in different places to say that the magic dates in one area aren't just the same in all areas. Where I hunted for many years earlier in my archery career I would say that my best success was around Nov. 5th, plus or minus a few days. At my farm in SE Iowa, where I have hunted almost exclusively for 20 years now...I would favor the Nov. 11th date, plus or minus a few days. A solid week difference FWIW.

Now then...I definitely agree with the "any good October cold front" folks too. I also agree that right around Thanksgiving can be really good, not for "numbers", but for the really old bucks, out just moseying for one last hot doe. How's that for scattershot advice? :)
 
You'll get 20 different answers on here and they're all right. I go back and forth on whether early or late November is better and it seems to vary from year to year where I hunt. Can't go wrong with either if the weather and wind direction is good.

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Thanks for the responses guys and like I figured it would be a mixed bag. October is not a option due to work schedule. It's looking more and more like the later week is what we end up doing. Either way hoping for cold weather unlike last year in Missouri. 80 degrees and midwest deer ain't a good combo.
 
All other things being equal, in SE Iowa, I would not miss Nov 9-12. After that, it gets slow, fast.
If I could only bowhunt one day, it would be Nov 10, no question.
 
I never did get around to updating this thread. We ended up going with our original dates Nov 5-12 and it worked out pretty good. Now of course the weather was not ideal, but we did manage a buck a piece. Crazy how things work, I rattled in a MONSTER at daylight on Nov 7 and was able to make a good shot at 13 yards. After I shot him I called my buddy and told him to rattle too. Lol..... less than 20 mins later he calls me back laughing and he had shot his after he rattled and grunted him up. Ut was one of those mornings you dream of.......... I still can't believe it happened. I will probably never get another one like this guy. My buddy who we were hunting with measured him twice and came to 187 7/8 green scored. He's a 12pt with 7 on one side and 5 on the other. It was worth the wait, and I hope your DNR keeps the system the way it is. Yes, it sucks to have to wait as a NR, but it is worth it to keep the quality of hunt. As with each trip I have taken to Iowa everyone I had interactions with was just as nice as could be. We will be back in about 5yrs or so. Iowabuck2023.jpgIowabuck2023#2.jpgIowabuck2023#3.jpgIowabuck2023#4.jpgIowabuck2023#5.jpgIowabuck2023#6.jpgIowabuck2023.jpgIowabuck2023#2.jpgIowabuck2023#3.jpgIowabuck2023#4.jpgIowabuck2023#5.jpgIowabuck2023#6.jpgDanielsIowabuck#2.jpg
 
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