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Hunting Iowa..bow or shotgun..

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arkmo

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Having never hunted cropland like Iowa has, can anyone give me any insight as to set up's? I will be hunting this fall in Unit 4 for the first time and normally hunt heavy timbered hill country with a bow. Any help would be appreciated!
 
Howdy Arkmo,suppose to be some good hunting
in that zone.You should be able to hunt heavy
timber in zone 4,what area are you thinking about hunting,private or public.I'm sure with
a little more info and when people wake up you will get plenty of help!
Goodluck
 
Thanks Flatlander. My wife is from Ottumwa and in driving by the property it appears to be mostly fields with "potholes" of timber or treelines running across it. Since I have only traveled that way during the summer the past several years, it was hard to tell if the tree's would accomodate climbers or if loc-on's would be the way to go?
 
Sounds like typical Iowa land,Ottumwa seems like their should be some timbers around there.I would say figure on using a lock on stand, most the trees have too many crotchs and forks for a climber to work very well.
A scouting trip will answer a lot of ??'s
Patchs of timber and fence lines running to them,scout out the water and food supply and
find their travel routes to the big timbers
and where trails cross.They will probaly use
the fencelines when the crops are all harvested,so you have to get a picture in your head of how it will look without the crops.When the corn is still in the whole country is one big timber of 8 ft. corn, they travel anywhere!! anytime!!
Watch for low spots in the fences,and steep
creek banks,etc. deer are basically lazy and take the path of least resistance.
 
arkmo, How do you know your hunting unit 4 ,they haven't drawn yet.Slap me if you are a resident I wasn't thinking about that.Anyway what town will you be near. I hunt that same area
 
You are correct sir! This will be the second year in a row to apply and I have been eyeballing the property every year for the last 6 hoping to have the opportunity. Guess I'm counting my whitetails before they hatch! I would rather bowhunt it but have limited time and thought the first shotgun season would be more productive.
 
Ottumwa is unit 5 and southeast corner of Ottumwa is unit 6. I hope you saw the "ground" as you were driving to Ottumwa and not when you got there.

Unit 4 is west of I-35. Terrain is not much different, maybe more hills out west in 4.

Hunt the edge of small fields surrounded by timber if possible. Not many climbers used here. plenty of crooked trees. Might have to be a small tree thou if you decide to hunt a fence row or treeline along side CRP property. Big bucks bed down in them CRP fields...Thats probably where they will be during shotgun season. I know guys who hunt them like you do pheasants because they are too smart to go in the timber after being shot at once.

I wouldn't go in the woods during shotgun season, in my opinion there are too many idiots out there who only hunt twice a year...deer opener and pheasant opener...

Good Luck
 
Thanks Bugle, I have driven by the property to and from "grandma's house" and have never stopped to get a better view. I don't know how many folks actually hunt there, but the info you gave will help. Looks like drives are going to be the best bet!
 
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