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VB- EHD takes plenty and doesn't buy a tag.....

Last year proved that EHD is more than a drought year problem. If the herd around me does not start building some tolerance, there will never be a need for antlerless tags again.

Very, very dry for this time of year. Longest days of the year with extended sun make it worse than Aug/Sept. Curling and blue corn in spots already, out of water. Need a weather change soon.

Unless you are fortunate enough to get a hidden gem in between the farms of TV personalities, it’s only dreaming to think that 40-80 acres is going to consistently produce big deer. I have 215 acres and it’s not nearly enough to insulate from bad neighbors and EHD outbreaks.A guy needs at least...

That article is propaganda. Someone trying to get into the sport has a bigger problem than weapon choice- finding a place to hunt.

What Daver said X2. I quit hunting turkey a couple years ago, not because the low population increased the challenge, I don't want to be the guy that kills the last tom in the area!

Google says VB is 490 square miles, I don't hunt there, but that county has a lot of habitat compared to others. Would it be safe to say that half the county is huntable acres, if we take out road, towns, open fields, rivers, etc? 3800 / 245 = 15.5 After everyone gets their 2 state tags, many...

If you can't own at least 300, with 500-600 being better, it's all about the neighbors. Fence sitters and trigger happy neighbors can knock your land size down quickly. It takes a lot of land to hold deer. Better to pay a premium for that perfect 80 situated between several large land owners...

Access, access, access....we don't need anymore hunters during the bowseason. How many of you have empty farms nearby with no bowhunters during November that are needing hunters ? If so, please post location. The reason hunter numbers are not growing ? access. If I was new to the sport today...

Also avoid neighborhoods that have a lot of guys just like many of us- hardcore hunters with 2-3 tags in their pocket and 40 acres. 40 acres will not grow one good buck per year, 200 acres might grow one. Get yourself in a neighborhood of small properties, and no matter how good the management...

Des Moines County missed everything over the weekend, thankful for the 1.3" Tuesday, doubles the total for the last 6 weeks. Could use that every week or two from now until September.

Yep, last two years all over again. Around 1" the last 5 weeks. Most the rest of the state doesn't know what we are talking about.

Same situation.....used to be no challenge to blind hunting, they were everywhere. Now, the challenge is to see some.

Agree ! The people that are arguing cross bows have limits similar to regular vertically held bows ..... haven't turned on the outdoor channel in the last 5 years. The modern crossbows are wickedly fast, flat shooting, and since they are held stable on a crossbar or sticks, very accurate to long...

C'mon out, start building relationships now, because the hard hit EHD areas are 3-5 years from good hunting again if we reduce seasons and tags.

http://thegazette.com/2014/03/06/lengthening-winter-stresses-iowa-wildlife/

Geez, that's a lot...I've found it hard to grow anything with much more than 30-40 deer per square mile- the browse is just too extreme. We got our population in-line a few years back, but the extra tags and seasons didn't go away (for the neighbors)...bring on EHD for two years....I'd say 10...

Financially, I suggest saving for 24-36 months. Put this money in a down payment account separate from your regular living expense. How much can you save? Are you really comfortable living this way? Family is more important than deer. Location, location, location (neighbors X 3): it's tough to...

I wish you were right...but things are different than the 1970-80's were. The top 1% of this country has made 95% of the financial gains since 2008. How ? They are a lot smarter. Why is the stock market falling in recent weeks? The top 1% is cashing out of all-time highs and looking for other...

This is probably what most amazes me....traveling around the state, most my travel is in eastern Iowa, places I used to see 10-20 deer every evening just a few years ago...I now see zero. Des Moines County- numbers seen hunting are 25-30% what they were a few years back, and no mature deer...