What county?

I was going to wait, but I'll start it out. I think the "known" trophy counties really are not the best overall. The pockets where guys own thousands or heavily managed neighborhoods in these counties can be great, but I would pick areas that have the least amount of hunting pressure and at least some timber. Less hunting pressure means less young great genetic bucks being shot. In the popular trophy counties of Southern Iowa every farm is pounded and most of the 3-4 year olds with huge potential get shot. I do not know a lot of Iowa well, but I'd pick Taylor county or Union county.
 
Here is just my observation from afar … & I’ve never been in the northeast or Southeast much . I’d say these (3) are kinda sleepers ….

Lucas, Taylor, & Boone !
 
When I started bowhunting in 1985 while after shooting at the local bow club there were two county’s in Iowa that didn’t have a P&Y entered. One I can’t remember but the other was Poweshiek county just east of me.
There’s not much public ground there but doing taxidermy for 33 years this county for my business produced the most B&C deer by far of any other.
It’s a sleeper and they mostly came from the southern half of! The cats out of the bag now.
 
letemgrow said:
Always liked Decatur from what I saw driving through there over the years living right across the line.
Click to expand...
Decatur has great habitat, but I think it is too heavily hunted. It is very difficult to get good genetic bucks to maturity because of the hunting pressure. Decatur is like Pike County Illinois was in the past. The only difference is the Iowa hunting regs help save it from the exact same path.
 
Any county in Iowa could work here, what I would be looking for though if I was starting with a blank slate is...ISOLATION. 100 acres of cover surrounded by LOTS of Ag would be my goal. Any scenario that allows a buck to get to 5+ years old will produce giants here, IMO. But, as others have said, even really good areas/counties can be limited by neighbor behavior.

An otherwise good area, with good cover on multiple properties with good hunters who really can't lay off of hi po 3 and 4 year olds will likely be frustrating to the one dude who passes up the hi po young bucks when others around them don't.
 
Wonder where the county I grew up in would rate: Tama county. Seen some really nice deer there when I grew up, but it flies under the radar. Little to no public and the landowners are tight lipped. Recently saw the obit for a bowhunter in the local paper up there who I heard through the grapevine knocked down some studs. There was another guy there who's trophy room was rumored to host some gaggers. Both guys bow hunted before it caught on, not sure that matters.

This thread: Loose lips sink ships.
 
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