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WHY IS IOWA GREAT?

Sligh1

Sligh1

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Staff member
We take it for granted some time.... why is this state great? What sets it apart from our neighboring states or really- any state in the country that has Whitetails?

It’s CRITICALLY important for us to constantly bring this up as we have a whole new generation of hunters- many of which haven’t really been educated on this. We also have a huge mass of seasoned hunters that don’t realize what other states are like!!! They don’t realize that iowa is something special that needs to be defended & is a fragile system & resource.

It may sound funny but I find the uniqueness & greatness of iowa to be similar to why America is special & great. Americans often take our system for granted & don’t realize what other countries are like. Clearly our country is of far more importance than the state’s whitetail management... but the analogy of big to small systems of unique greatness does apply here. Interestingly - the country faces threats constantly we have to fight off (socialism, foreign threats, $ interests) that wish to degrade or change it. Iowa is no different in a smaller way.

I also want to remind everyone.... this is NOT BEATING A DEAD HORSE!!! This horse is alive & well!!! It’s being ridden daily by: the IFC, the crossbow lobby, Farm Bureau, guys like the Jensen fella that hired 7 lobbyists to change Iowa’s regs, $/special interests, etc!!

PLEASE, if you will, spend one sentence, one minute, one story of why iowa is great, worth defending, why it’s a superior model of management. Maybe a story of what other states look like, why we are one of the last great but fragile management systems. We need the newer hunters shown & taught this constantly. We also need to remind the seasoned hunters what it’s like it other parts of the country. How great we have it. What happened in Iowa’s history that created a state of great management & opportunities? What are the threats against it?
The second we forget all these things or don’t teach the next generations- we risk losing it.



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Though I'm not an Iowa resident I have had a burning passion for whitetail deer for over 50 years. During my quest for a true BIG whitetail buck I ventured to some other states from my home in PA. I researched the record books and DNR sites for other states for many years. My first thought was Saskatchewan to fulfill my quest, made two long trips and deep into the backwoods looking for a true giant. My journey fell short so I pursued info on other states like Illinois, Iowa, West Virginia, New York and Ohio.

Pike county Illinois got my interest back in 2000 while looking at the P&Y records and the chances of getting a tag where much better than Iowa so I was fortunate enough to get a lease with some friends and the quest continued. First year and the first hour I harvested the buck I always dreamed of and then some scoring 203" gross with at least 12" broke off. The following 9 years were also very good to me but it wasn't long before the quality and numbers of deer began to recline due to the notoriety of Pike Co. and out of state hunters flocked to the state in 2004 or so. We rarely seen any other hunters in Illinois and only would see the farmers and the mailman traveling the dirt roads, but then the invasion began, out of state cars parked on just about every farm around it seemed and traffic increase tenfold on the back roads. Iowa doesn't need that!

PA seasons have changed so much over the past 20 years, longer seasons, and seasons added for just about every weapon you can think of. There used to be over a million licensed hunters in PA and most had the "if it's brown it's down" mentality. Needles to say the odds of shooting or even seeing a P&Y class buck where rare and QDM didn't exist and is still lacking.

I could go on and on but the bottom line is Iowa has it's act together more than any other state period. Anyone who lives in Iowa is blessed and should be proud of how the DNR has regulated your seasons as well as most all the hunters and farmers QDM efforts are next to none.

Am I envious? You bet ;)
 
What Iowa has in it's season structure is very unique and a huge key to quality bucks. No guns in November is rare. I think Kansas is the only other state to offer that, and it is is also great. Minnesota has a November 7, or 8 gun season and it throws off the entire season. My state could be the bomb if we moved the gun season back and did a few other tweaks.

Not letting 30,000 NR in per year also helps. Once you establish quality like this, the hunters choose to be picky and not shoot every forkhorn that walks by. It is a fun state to hunt...especially in November!
 
Ok here's from Michigan.....

We have had a family deer camp in the upper peninsula from when my great grandpa homesteaded there and I have hunted there every year since I was old enough to hunt.

My Dad and uncle's did pretty dang good when they started. I got started in the '70s and it was pretty good then and it slowly deteriorated, for the most part of the upper peninsula.

I live in the lower peninsula and do ok but I have to really really work hard for it.

I've had known no other hunting and always wanted to chase after some very large whitetails.
So came an opportunity to start hunting Iowa some 12 years ago.

When someone from Iowa has not been exposed to hunt different areas in the country it makes it extremely more difficult and challenging for one to understand what Iowa has to offer.

By that I mean you guys in Iowa are extremely blessed and have some incredibly great whitetail hunting.

Iowa you have last of the best, appreciate what you have.

Lastly the biggest thing what makes Iowa the best...NO GUN HUNTING during the rut. You need to work hard to keep it that way.
 
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Shhh, Iowa's not great at all. We only have one big game animal to hunt. Hot and humid in the summer with millions of blood sucking mosquitoes and ticks. No spring or fall to speak of. Cold as the dark side of the moon in the winter and enough snow to break your back from trying to keep up with it. I wonder why I live here sometimes.

On a more serious note... We have the best topsoil in the world, and we can grow anything, pretty much anywhere. If we suffer a drought or flood, it lasts a season or two at most. People are friendly for the most part. Plenty of aggriculture all over the state. Enough corn and beans to feed all of our critters and still leave plenty for the farmers to make a profit. Lots of little timbered ravines and draws to hunt. Lots of ponts and lakes to fish. No firearm season during the rut is a BIG WIN.

I wish we had a mountain or two and a few more large game animals to at least see, if not hunt. As for deer hunting, it was GREAT at one time, not long ago, and still is pretty good for the most part. We could do away with special seasons and allowing anything other than shotgun or muzzle loader during shotgun season. I'd like to see an acreage cap put on celebrity hunters in the state too. Not sure what that would look like, but something along the lines of if you're profiting off of harvesting deer in IA, you can only lay claim to XX number of private acres to lock down and hunt annuually. All other private acres must be made available to the public. That would make things pretty interesting.
 
Hardwood11 said:
What Iowa has in it's season structure is very unique and a huge key to quality bucks. No guns in November is rare. I think Kansas is the only other state to offer that, and it is is also great. Minnesota has a November 7, or 8 gun season and it throws off the entire season. My state could be the bomb if we moved the gun season back and did a few other tweaks.

Not letting 30,000 NR in per year also helps. Once you establish quality like this, the hunters choose to be picky and not shoot every forkhorn that walks by. It is a fun state to hunt...especially in November!
Click to expand...

Ohio doesn’t either


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Nutrition and not having gun seasons begin until December are honestly the two biggest reasons. I do think Bill Winke recently made a really great point on the Hoyt Bowhunting podcast that just overall across the country, we're seeing bigger deer in general because people are getting more selective and understanding what goes in growing big deer (looking at states like Ohio, Kentucky in particular.) Some of the lobbying groups come off as being hyperbolic sometimes when it comes to any changes, but there's really not many things that should probably be changed with the current structure.
 
Ive said it before but I’ll say it again, Iowa does it better than any other state (for its residents especially). Missouri on the other hand is 100% concerned with tourism and the quantity of nonresident hunters it can attract for sales tax revenues.
You can buy 2 archery anydeer tags over the counter for $275 (only one of which can be filled prior to the firearms season).
Firearms season is the second Saturday in November and runs for 10 days, this tag for nonresidents is $275.
“Alternative methods” season is muzzleloader and pistol season. It runs for 10 days in the end of December.
Between firearms and archery seasons combined you may only take 2 bucks (used to be 3). This includes nonresidents.
This is the main reason Iowa’s age structure is the way it is and why bucks have a much better chance at reaching maturity.
I truely believe that if MO plugged into Iowa’s regs the north half of the state would be at least as good if not better consistent trophy producing potential than Southern IA.
Hunting can be very good in MO compared to most states, but its just a shame to know what it could be if the state did a couple things:
1) Increase the price of NR tags (and limit to 1 buck/season)
2) Institute NR draw limiting tags issued
3) Move firearms season out of the peak rut week to after thanksgiving
Im probably forgetting something but theres my quick rant.
Bottom line is Iowa sees the states deer herd as the people of Iowa’s deer, Missouri treats the herd as “the state’s deer” to be used to maximize revenues for Jefferson City.

Cherish what you have and be vigilant to protect it.


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There a few states that get it right.
Iowa,south n north Dakota come to mind.
Minnesota could also be top notch but?....
Rifle season starts too early.
Youth hunts are great but its becoming a youth "trophy hunt"
We allow over the counter n/r tags..
Mn is an awesome deer state but not what it once was for big bucks.
 
Bucksnbears said:
There a few states that get it right.
Iowa,south n north Dakota come to mind.
Minnesota could also be top notch but?....
Rifle season starts too early.
Youth hunts are great but its becoming a youth "trophy hunt"
We allow over the counter n/r tags..
Mn is an awesome deer state but not what it once was for big bucks.
Click to expand...

If Minnesota moved the season back and limited gun buck tags like South Dakota or North Dakota, it would be scary how good it could be. The amount of cover we have along with management. We can only dream!
 
Have to ask you NR guys. Is there ever a push in legislation in your states to do the things you guys are talking about above. I agree with you 100%. Minn, Wisc, Ill, Missouri all could be equal if not better if its seasons structures were tweaked just a little. It's obvious every year the battles we have to fight in legislation to keep our regs the way they are. Are there groups in your states that would push legislation for change? Just curious. Thanks.
 
Hawk32 said:
Have to ask you NR guys. Is there ever a push in legislation in your states to do the things you guys are talking about above. I agree with you 100%. Minn, Wisc, Ill, Missouri all could be equal if not better if its seasons structures were tweaked just a little. It's obvious every year the battles we have to fight in legislation to keep our regs the way they are. Are there groups in your states that would push legislation for change? Just curious. Thanks.
Click to expand...

There is a small push, but many of the gun hunters do not want to see any changes, and they outnumber the bow hunters. My son is 27 and his age group has more interest in quality and may get some changes some day. Right now, the older firearms guys just want to keep the gun season in the rut, and that is frustrating!
 
Comes down to just a few things that have already been touched on:
- No gun season in November and well structured seasons as a whole but mostly having to do with no guns during the breeding season.
- Limited Non-Resident hunting (sorry, not sorry)

Those are the things you can control; similar to the basketball player that just workers harder, shoots 1000 shots per day instead of 200, studies the game, etc. - despite not being a great athlete, he's a consensus All-American because he does the right things.

Now for the God given aspects of Iowa that make us great; like the 6'10" freak athlete that was blessed with natural ability and dominates a game because he jumps out of the gym and runs like a deer.
- Good balance of cover and food - and plenty of it
- For whatever reason, genetics that in some areas are out of this world
- We have some of the most productive soils in the world. Even the armpit of the state, Southern IA (when it comes to crop ground) has superior soils to a lot of places. Good soils->Healthy plants->Healthy deer->Big horns


In conclusion:
No guns during the rut + Limiting Non-Residents blasting every "Biggest deer they've ever seen" 120s 8 pointer + Good habitat + Good genetics + Good Soils = The best whitetail hunting in the world

Gotta do everything we can to keep it that way.
 
Hawk32 said:
Have to ask you NR guys. Is there ever a push in legislation in your states to do the things you guys are talking about above. I agree with you 100%. Minn, Wisc, Ill, Missouri all could be equal if not better if its seasons structures were tweaked just a little. It's obvious every year the battles we have to fight in legislation to keep our regs the way they are. Are there groups in your states that would push legislation for change? Just curious. Thanks.
Click to expand...

There are a few but not nearly enough. MDC has community forums every year but anything like discussed above would decrease tourism- in turn falling on deaf ears


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Hawk32 said:
Have to ask you NR guys. Is there ever a push in legislation in your states to do the things you guys are talking about above. I agree with you 100%. Minn, Wisc, Ill, Missouri all could be equal if not better if its seasons structures were tweaked just a little. It's obvious every year the battles we have to fight in legislation to keep our regs the way they are. Are there groups in your states that would push legislation for change? Just curious. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Not enough gun hunters in MO want the season moved. They’re the “fair weather” hunters who hunt 1-2 weekends a year and are done. There’s no reason they’d want to see fewer deer when out hunting.


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I sure don't like the way Mn has the rifle season so early but?....
Some years, if it held off till late nov, few people could even get out due too deep snow.

I truly enjoy helping,watching people shoot deer, really do.
Its the "big buck" craze that has most of us tied in a knot and I'm as guilty as hell of it.

I also love the youth season but way to many families are turning into a "trophy season"..I frigging hate that!
 
RinggoCy said:
- Good balance of cover and food - and plenty of it
- For whatever reason, genetics that in some areas are out of this world
- We have some of the most productive soils in the world. Even the armpit of the state, Southern IA (when it comes to crop ground) has superior soils to a lot of places. Good soils->Healthy plants->Healthy deer->Big horns
Click to expand...


There it is! Gun season or not, if you don't have the right environment/habitat/terrain/genetics it would be extremely difficult to replicate what Iowa has.
 
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