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Which Gun Season

IsThisHeaven?

IsThisHeaven?

Active Member
Which gun season do you guys prefer? I am a resident with access to decent private property in a good location. I do not plant food plots. The farm I hunt has grain (beans this year), but it is all combined.

I used to hunt and prefer the late muzzleloader season, but that was when I hunted the NE part of the state. The farm I hunted had several strips of alfalfa that were great late season food sources. I no longer hunt that farm or that part of the state. As I’ve gotten older the frigid temps of the late season have gotten much less appealing (used to love it).

I have hunted the early muzzleloader season a few times a few years ago with limited success. A concern I have is the warm temps. I’ve never hunted either of the guns seasons.

I am interested in hearing which gun season you guys prefer and how you would think about this if you were me.
 
If I was to pick one gun season for trying to kill a good buck, I'd do 2nd gun. It's longer than 1st gun and often the first significant snow and cold of the year comes during that season . That first snow storm of the season is hard to beat. If you're hunting ground that gets hit hard during 1st gun that probably won't work as well.
 
Both options have their pros and cons. I would prefer 1st season. The deer are less educated and less skittish. Also, some of the deer on hoof first season are no longer on hoof second season. More days or 2 weekends would be the only reason for me the consider 2nd season.
 
I would see if the farmer would let an acre of beans stand for you in the right spot? For late muzzleloader but like stated above if area hunted hard id take 1st gun

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The weather is a complete crapshoot for any of the seasons mentioned.
Being a resident you could wait until the night before season to buy your tag and just play the weather?
Like someone else mentioned are you the only one hunting the property?
What’s the size of the property and do the deer stay there during the late season ?
If not I would bank on gun season and someone pushing something into you from a neighboring property or a hot fawn getting one to slip up for you.
 
There are two pieces. The bigger is about 115, the smaller is about 75. They are 10 minutes apart or so. My son and I will be the only people hunting it. He will likely be done by the gun seasons. The areas gets some pressure but not abnormally high pressure.

Appreciate the thoughts.
 
IsThisHeaven? said:
There are two pieces. The bigger is about 115, the smaller is about 75. They are 10 minutes apart or so. My son and I will be the only people hunting it. He will likely be done by the gun seasons. The areas gets some pressure but not abnormally high pressure.

Appreciate the thoughts.
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I’d watch the forecast and buy the tag the night before whichever season looks best for you.
 
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Iowa said:
I’d watch the forecast and buy the tag the night before whichever season looks best for you.
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I have weekend obligations and would like to take some time off work, so I would like to have some idea ahead of time.

Bith gun 1 or 2 are better options than early muzzleloader?
 
IowaBowHunter1983 said:
Early muzzleloader can be
Extremely deadly if there is a cold/cool front and you have greens. If its warm it can be a complete dud.
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This. ^^ I don't often get gun tags any longer, but when I did AND I had a specific buck in mind where his tendencies were known to us...the early muzzy was hard to beat. But...no cold front means no Mr. Big...most likely. I once skipped the first 5 days of that 9 day season and waited until we had a good cold front on Thursday and deer were everywhere that evening.

Another time I waited several days for a cold front and went in and had a super hunt on the last green bean field in the area. (Farmer had to replant around the (4th of July). If it's warm...don't spoil your good area(s), but if that NW wind is ripping and you have a blue bird sky...get in early!!
 
There’s pros & cons to each season. In my area of Western IA the first season can have some extended rutting. There seems to be be fewer hunters & not as many deer drives.

The second season can be colder and the season is longer … more guys out and about .

If it’s cold, both seasons are good… warm days can really stifle the movement.
 
Thanks guys. Leaning toward first gun season. The only gun hunting I’ve done in Iowa has been the muzzleloader seasons. Looking forward to trying something different.

Appreciate it
 
I would vote gun 1. Especially in areas of the state with higher doe densities. Right farm, that first week of December can have as good or better “rut” movement of mature deer than November 1st. Obviously hard to beat single digit temps with fresh snow overlooking standing grain, but those days seem to be few and far between last 4-5 years in southern Iowa.
 
I hunt either 1st season or late ML because the neighbors hunt 2nd season and the easement drive goes right by my blind. I've seen better bucks during 1st season, but it's also a shorter season. Weather is hit and miss 1st season. I'm hunting 1st this year since we haven't killed any doe for a couple years and I see a lot of doe and younger bucks during late ML. The only two bucks I've shot at the place I hunt, both during 1st season. I think both were still chasing doe.
 
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