2020 late muzzleloader season

[Gellar]

It is with trepidation that I start this thread. I am not sure how often I will get out, but here goes for the 2020 Iowa late muzzleloader season. I bought my any sex tag this morning and I will be hunting public and private land. This season is very dependent on cold (10 degrees or colder is best) and snow. Thus far we have none and the extended forecast does not look promising either. I will try to post each day after I get out hunting.

 

[Pucky Freak]

Good luck!

 

[Walkathon]

Hope you connect with one! Keep us posted.

 

[HighDesertSage]

Good luck, I'll be out there for late muzzleloader too.

 

[Gellar]

The wind was blowing about 35 out of the NW and spitting rain. I knew it wouldn’t be a stellar night. I had 2 does in range and bumped a small buck on the way out. We will be back after them tomorrow!

 

[BrentD]

I'll be out there, but I have no idea why 10 F or snow is important or even good. It's not like the deer leave if it is warmer or drier. The problem with late season muzzleloader is that it coincides with Squirrel Rut and pheasant hunting.

I'll be out on public land tomorrow I think.

 

[Gellar]

I'll be out there, but I have no idea why 10 F or snow is important or even good. It's not like the deer leave if it is warmer or drier. The problem with late season muzzleloader is that it coincides with Squirrel Rut and pheasant hunting.

I'll be out on public land tomorrow I think.

Around here it gets them up and moving before dark. They get hit pretty hard on public here and aren’t out before the dark unless you have a good food source or it gets frigid cold. I have to catch them on public land headed to private to feed and in my experience my success rate goes way up if it’s cold and even higher if we have a good snow cover.

 

[duckhunt]

Good luck. I will be up your way on the 29th for some ice fishing. Possibly might pick up a doe tag for allamakee county.

 

[mplane72]

Good luck. I'll be out myself tonight. Have an any sex tag for muzzy and a antlerless bow tag I would like to fill still. I agree that the weather plays a big roll in getting them moving during day light after shotgun season. Wish it was colder. A warm up after a bunch of cold can also get them going early in my experience.

 

[Gellar]

Good luck. I will be up your way on the 29th for some ice fishing. Possibly might pick up a doe tag for allamakee county.

Be careful, the ice is very spotty . I heard from the bait shop in Lansing a few guys broke through yesterday on pool 9. Other then Thursday it doesn’t look great for building ice.

 

[F250]

Thanks for taking us along Gellar ! My deer seasons are done . What are you using for a rifle and load ?

 

[Gellar]

Thanks for taking us along Gellar ! My deer seasons are done . What are you using for a rifle and load ?

T/c pro hunter, 100 grains for American pioneer powder, 300 grain Thor bullet, tru glo ghost ring sight.

I did not put my scope back on after muzzleloader elk in September. The biggest disadvantage will be shooting in low light. Sometimes in this late season it’s still legal shooting but can be to dark to see with open sights.

 

[Gellar]

Conditions: sunny 36 degrees wind SE 10-15 gusting to 25 mph.

Today was the last day of school before Christmas break so my daughter who is in kindergarten was going to get off the bus an hour early today. The plan was to bring her to grandmas then go hunting afterwards. When I told her to get her dolls and stuff for grandmas She announced she wanted to go hunting. Ok, no problem. We got all of our things together, I got her tablet, headphones and my portable charger and away we went. Not knowing how this was going to go I was going to sit in a blind that was set up in October across the road from grandmas house so we could walk up and abort the plan without spooking anything. There is usually a few does and bucks that mill around down there, so I figured we’d see something close but probably nothing that I’d be interested in harvesting. 1/2 hour in is about all she lasts and we hike back to grandmas. She could have walked by herself as I could see her the whole way but she would have had to cross a gravel road. After bringing her inside I run back out and get set up again with about 45 minutes of shooting light which isn’t an issue because the deer do not come out until about 15 minutes to go! Right on cue 2 does come out and mill around 30 yards in front of the blind until they feed through. No other deer show up. After we are home and undressed my wife pulls in the garage. She announces she just saw a huge buck run through the yard. I will be back after it tomorrow!

 

[Crossbowguy]

I will follow along good luck!

 

[Gellar]

Conditions: overcast, possible wintry mix falling temps, it was 50 at Noon, at 3:30 it was 35. Wind: Sw 30 mph gusts to 50

Tough conditions today, the snow/rain stayed to our northwest, we are supposed to be at a high of 10 tomorrow so big changes coming. Hopefully the deer come to feed. I am on public land tucked behind a small hill, but it isn’t doing much to block the wind.
In Iowa farmers who rent public ground are required to leave 10 or 20% (I can’t remember which)of the crop in the field for wildlife, but there is nothing but corn stalks and grass here. There were two does feeding about 50 yards from where I set up when I came over the hill.

 

[Gellar]

As I’m typing a text a little spike buck pops out. He’s watching the woods pretty intensely. Maybe another one will follow?

 

[SaskHunter]

Good luck!

I wish we had a late season deer hunt here...

 

[Scrappy]

Good luck, I'll be out starting next tuesday morning with the bow. I'm that guy that has to do everything differently than everyone else. My last five or so late season archery bucks have come from morning hunts. I hate sitting over a field in the evening.

 

[elkantlers]

Following along.
I hunted Iowa archery in November with a good friend that lives there. I have a new respect for white tale deer hunting.

 

[Gellar]

Good luck!

I wish we had a late season deer hunt here...

It’s a lot of fun when conditions are right!