Let’s boil down the opportunity between iowa & MO....
MO - Opportunity to rifle down 2 year olds. This can be done with “relative consistency”. Agree.
If u want OPPORTUNITY to rifle down a 4-5 year with relative consistency- NO WAY!!!!!!
Yep- u can use rifles & lots of folks love it. Bucks chasing does like lunatics & ability to take 400+ yard shots while doing it. But yep- if u want AGE on a deer - not gonna happen. MO has about 5x the amount of habitat IA does as well!
IA- if you want to gun down 2 year olds- JUST LIKE MO- YOU CAN!!!!!! (Residents & when NR draw). BUT..... if u are one of the whackos that wants to shoot a 4-5 year buck- IA is where u have a chance with “relative consistency”. That’s the difference right there. So- which state offers more “opportunity” for a variety of hunters???? For age of bucks - Iowa. For weapons choices- iowa is slightly hindered to about 5 weapons (bow, short wall rifle, ML, crossbow late season, pistol & shotgun). Yep- tags for NR are not handed out like MO (& IA doesn’t have habitat & #’s like MO). But- “opportunity” for quality hunt for any level of hunter desire exists in Iowa where it does not in MO.
It’s interesting to see most my neighbors I’ve ever had- in Iowa- 90% pass 2 year olds. I’ve got a few neighbors that pass 2-4 year olds when in Iowa. Then, the same folks go across border (just so they can get more tags) & will shoot 2-3 year olds they NEVER would shoot in iowa. Why?? “If I don’t shoot those- they never live anyways!” See it all the time.
Last thing- to above. I am just gonna say this “how I see it”. I agree with above. 95% of folks can spend $800 every 4 years (or whatever it is, about $200/year) if it was a priority. Does paying that suck? Sure. Is it doable - for sure!!! In college, I put myself through school. I had mediocre paying internships & waited tables. As a broke college kid, i saved enough to hunt KS, IL & IA when I drew. Somehow paid for gas & cheap motel. Did that all 4 years of college. No help- no high paying job- just worked extra cause it was a priority FOR ME. Not saying others should be of the same mindset but it’s absolutely an expense MOST of us can handle if it’s a priority.
I guess after your deer last year I am a believer. The expectation I hear is that there are 170s behind every tree. Well, I have are my Iowa tag for three years in a row now for a 160 gross. I've harvested 150+ in MO 3 of the last 4 years. Iowa is likely the best which is why I am here but expectations and reality do not line up especially for someone wanting to hunt one week hard a year like most people from a long ways away plan on.
