Iowa live hunt

I almost got a dandy one this morning, but it was with my car. Hopefully the cooler weather later in the week gets them out of their bed earlier in the afternoon. Good luck!
 
Tuesday was day 4 of the hunt. Walking out an hour before legal shooting time was interesting. There was deer everywhere. I even had a few curious deer let me walk by them at 30 yards and didn't spook. My hopes are high. But as legal time came and drifted into midday my hopes went down the tubes. Made it back to the trailer for lunch and spent the afternoon with my wife taking care of a few more projects around the trailer. I did manage to have a few cocktails while I smoked stuffed pork loin on the grill.
 
Wednesday was day 5 of the hunt. My buddy dided to hunt the same area as me so we jumped in the truck and headed out at 5 am. We parted ways at the truck and he went to an area about a half mile from me. What a beautiful morning. After I got to where I wanted to sit and got situated a few deer decided to wonder out and feed literally about 20 feet in front of me. If they would only stick around for about another 40 minutes it would be shooting time. I guess they decided not to wait around.

A few hours into the sit and a nice big doe decides to show herself. The tag in my pocket is either sex so this could be an option. Shes about 300 yards out and decides to wonder off into the timber. The rest of the morning was very uneventful.

After some lunch and a midday nap back out we went. I wasn't very excited because the wind was howling alot more than I like. Again we went our separate ways at the parking area. After sitting for about 45 minutes, I hear a smoke pole fire. We have an agreement that if one guy he is on his own so the other guy can finish out the hunt. Luckily the small buck was shot by some crp ground that my friend could get him out with the game cart.

With a couple hours of light left, I sit in the wind waiting. Time goes by pretty quickly and the next thing I know its time to head back to the truck. My father and 2 boys tagged out back home last weekend, and now my buddy is done. I punched my doe tag the other day with the doe I didnot retrieve. Now its just me and one tag.
 
Thursday day 6. Theres not alot to talk about for the day. Made it out early and again had movement all around me while it was dark. As the sun comes up the deer vanish. Ive been sitting on the edge of a field near a narrow timber funnel area. I tell myself its time for a change.

In the afternoon I move into the timber overlooking some well used deer trails. All is quiet until the last half hour of shooting light. This is when I can hear something moving around but its getting to the last few minutes and I cant get a look at it. Another day gone.
 
Its day 7 now and im still searching. Im writing this as I sit overlooking some deer trails. The wind is really jammin today. The leaves are coming down like snow at times. Well I better go, I dont want to miss anything.
 
Rain day up in this part of the state. I have had my dad out a few times. Seeing plenty of does, but only 3 small bucks this week. It was quite warm, and we didn't hunt every day but enjoyed the time we had out. Will try again Sat., and maybe Sunday.
 
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The morning of day 7 ended with 0deer seen. In the afternoon I made the 2 1/2 hour trip back home to watch my 2boys play football. My older boy Connor is a senior and this was his last high school football game. Im proud to say we won 44 to 0. After the game it was right back in the truck for the 2 1/2 hour ride back to the trailer arriving at midnight.
 
Onto day 8. After getting to bed at 2 30 am and getting up at 4 30 to go to the bathroom I rubbed my eyes and turned around right back into bed. After getting up at 8 I had a big breakfast and coffe with a nieghbor. Now its time to gear up. Got out to an area and sat down about noon. Lets see what the rest of the day brings.
 
You're committed Duck! Hang in there and make it happen. Pops shot a 2.5 yr old 9 pointer this morning 25 minutes after first light. He is 73 now and still loves to get out. He was supposed to have had surgery last week but luckily they rescheduled for December, so he didn't have to eat his tag. He worked hard at it, I took him 4 times I think and he hunted 3 times alone near his home. Not a big deer but still an accomplishment for him as he hasn't shot a buck in 8-10 years. I'm just glad I was there to share the experience with him.
 

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After sitting for hours the evening of day 8 finally some action. I was sitting in a turkey lounger chair with clear view to the left and the right. Straight in front of me theres a 40 yard wide shooting lane with tall weeds on left side and right. 1/2 hour before dark I hear something coming fast. A nice buck appears from behind the weeds moving right to left. Moving at almost a trot he moves through my shooting lane bfore I could get a shot. All of the sudden he just stops behind the weeds angled to my left. I cant see over the weeds so I stand up and take a few steps for a better view. Perfect, hes standing broadside. I bring the gon up but see weeds in my scope. I take another look with the naked eye and thimk I should be able to get yhe scope on him
Well he difnt like that because when I look through the scope again all I see is his white tail waiving good bye as he runs away. Alot of excitement to end with that I just screwed that up feeling. Shortly after its dark and the day is over.

Sunday morning is day 9, the last day. I get up and pack for home and winterize my waterlines in my trailer. I use the trailer all year but shut the water off when it gets cold. Made the trip home and unpack


Its the last afternoon and im heading out for one more sit. Asmall piece of private property close to my house has been good to me for alot of years. Lets hope it comes together or tag soup it is.
 
My muzzle loader season is over. I was dabating on wich stand to sit in. One is on the edge of a picked vorn field and the other is in timber. I decided on the one in the timber. To get to that stand I have to walk by the field stand. I sit until the last minute without seeing deer. On my walk out I pop out in the field and wouldnt you know it, theres a nice sized deer right in front of the field stand. Thats the way it goes sometimes. It was to dark to tell if it was a buck or a doe but it was nice sized. I guess now its time to take the bow to the woods.
 
Bucks were moving very slow here in northeast Iowa. Passed on 7 smaller bucks. Biggest one I saw was high 130 ish. Lots of doe and deer every sitting. I passed with the hope of taking one with the archery equipment. All in all a pretty slow season.

good luck to all
the dog
 
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