I think as more people start to practice QDM in Iowa the average size of our deer will improve.
QDM will work in Iowa but it will be difficult in some locations.
If you are a small landowner with less than 100 acres, and no one else around you is a QDM'er, it will be tough to see results. If you own more ground, or have like minded neighbors, I'm sure QDM will reward you.
In Iowa, protecting bucks before they reach their potential, adequate doe harvest, and sanctuaries are a critical parts of a QDM program. I believe developing sanctuaries to be as important as identifying which bucks to harvest.
We have all seen those little brushy spots that deer seek refuge in during our shotgun seasons. After two or three days of deer drives, they are always loaded with deer trying to find a place to stay alive. We are fortunate to have short shotgun seasons after the rut. If you can give those young bucks a place to hide during that period, and survive non-selective shotgun hunters that may be in your neighborhood, you will have a successful QDM program on your land. This probably means going to extreme measures to not disturb the deer on your land for three weeks, but that's what a successful QDM program requires in most parts of Iowa.
In my opinion, tall, warm season, native grasses make the best spots for a buck to survive the gun seasons. For this reason I would try to establish a native grass area, or several if you have room, in your sanctuaries on QDM farms.
The soils we have, the variety of habitats with lots of edge, the abundance of food, the relatively short, mild winters, the absence of significant predators, the genetics of our deer, and the limited firearm seasons make Iowa a fantastic state to grow big deer. Add QDM to that mixture and our deer are going to become really impressive.
Iowa is a state that's well suited for QDM, as more landowners participate in it, the quality of our deer will become incredible.