My 2024 Iowa season

[duckhunt]

More hiking and glassing. I have a whitetail doe tag so we did some glassing along the river bottom. No deer seen so off we go again. Last piece of public for the day there's some antelope not far off the road. The boys decide Reece is up again so all he has to do is sneak over a small rise and give it a shot. Me and my boys wait at the truck. 4 shots ring out. WTH is he doing? We walk over there and he is excited as could be. I think I got one he sais. Connor and Reece go look while me and Devon go grab the packs. While grabbing packs we can hear Reece hooting and hollering. I'm not going to put his picture online but Reece got his first western big game animal.

 

[duckhunt]

I need to rewind back to the morning. In the northern part of the unit Devon did sneak down to a water hole but got busted and the herd of antelope busted out of there.

 

[duckhunt]

Day 3 is our last day. Started on the north side again more of the same, also checked the water hole again but no animals to stalk. Back around to the center and south end. Found a buck in public but there was a 50 foot piece of private blocking us. The boys were pissed about how the public and private worked out there. I had to explain the land locked situation in the west.

Connor and Reece went for a hike and me and Devon waited at the truck and ate lunch. Another truck drove by with a huge elk in the back. Lol Devon turned and looked at me with huge eyes. Dad did you that thing? Where in the hell did he get that? I just laughed and said I have no idea.

We put about ten miles on the boots that day with no animals to be had. With only the evening left we decide to head back north. Hour and a half left we drop Devon off to sit at the water hole. I take Reece and Connor to do last minute glassing. It's dark so we pick Devon up. Turns out right after Devon got to the water hole another hunter came wandering through. I'm sure that didn't help him out any. And that concludes our 2024 antelope hunt. Connor lives about 5 hours from the unit so he may possibly get back for a short hunt.

Sunset over the Bighorn mountains

 

[duckhunt]

Going through gear and reorganizing for the Iowa early muzzleloader opener on Saturday.

 

[HighDesertSage]

Going through gear and reorganizing for the Iowa early muzzleloader opener on Saturday.

Good luck this year. I miss chasing whitetails in Iowa.

 

[duckhunt]

 

[Gellar]

View attachment 344200

We are waiting…

 

[duckhunt]

We are waiting…

Lol just opened this up to report.

 

[duckhunt]

Opening morning early muzzleloader

Stayed close to home to hunt with dad again this year. We made it to our deer stands about 45 minutes before shooting light. I could hear some duck hunters getting ready on a neighboring piece of property si I thought that might pressure the deer over my way a bit.

15 minutes after shooting light I can hear 2 deer coming from my right behind some thick brush. I can see a doe pop out only for a few seconds then turn and walk straight away. Never saw the other deer.

I have 2 tags. A state wide either sex tag, and an antlerless tag for Butler county. I'm game for shooting anything.

About an hour into the hunt and I'm getting hungry so I dig a snack stick and a piece of cheese out of my pack. I stand up to stretch my back as I'm still holding the cheese in my left hand with my gun leaning beside me. I think I need to get down because I need to take a leak , as I happened to glance left there's a doe angling at me at 40 yards. I throw the cheese in my mouth, slowly sit to grab my gun and as I lift the gun the stock bumps the back of the stand. I thought oh crap, but the noise stopped her with her head behind a tree. That worked perfect, put one through her at 30 yards. Doe tag filled.

 

[duckhunt]

I was using the 300 grain thor bullet with ballistic tip. There was not the blood trail that I expected but she only made it about 50 yards. It was a broadside double lung shot.

 

[duckhunt]

Just getting ready for my evening hunt. Still have state wide either sex tag. I'm going to hold out for a buck the first 4 or 5 days and after that anything goes.

 

[Gellar]

Just getting ready for my evening hunt. Still have state wide either sex tag. I'm going to hold out for a buck the first 4 or 5 days and after that anything goes.

Are you off all week?

 

[duckhunt]

Sunday

Are you off all week?

Yes, if dad fills his tag I will probably head up your way.

 

[duckhunt]

My evening set up on a field edge.



I love turkey lounger chairs.

 

[duckhunt]

I'm facing east with a east northeast wind. It's a bit swirly now so hopefully it settles down a bit.

 

[duckhunt]

Nothing seen tonight. Spooked 2 just as I put my pack on right at last shooting light. They were about 100 yards tomorrow south where I couldn't see them sitting in my lounger.

 

[BrentD]

Y'all might find this intetesting.

A friend did the heavy lifting for this with a tremendous amount of drone hours. Interesting stuff.

Iowa DNR releases first county-level deer density report • Iowa Capital Dispatch

Iowa DNR and Iowa State University researchers conducted a county-specific deer population density and economic impact study.

iowacapitaldispatch.com

 

[Gellar]

Y'all might find this intetesting.

A friend did the heavy lifting for this with a tremendous amount of drone hours. Interesting stuff.

Iowa DNR releases first county-level deer density report • Iowa Capital Dispatch

Iowa DNR and Iowa State University researchers conducted a county-specific deer population density and economic impact study.

iowacapitaldispatch.com

I’ve been taking a CWD course with Adam. It’s been fun and interesting. He’s very smart and good at putting things into terms a simple mind like mine can comprehend. As are the others who help with the class too.

 

[duckhunt]

Y'all might find this intetesting.

A friend did the heavy lifting for this with a tremendous amount of drone hours. Interesting stuff.

Iowa DNR releases first county-level deer density report • Iowa Capital Dispatch

Iowa DNR and Iowa State University researchers conducted a county-specific deer population density and economic impact study.

iowacapitaldispatch.com

I've noticed in Butler county that farmers are still ripping any and all habitat they can to plant row crops. I'm thankful to live by the confluence of 3 River bottoms (cedar, west fork of cedar, and shellrock rivers.

 

[duckhunt]

Dad is tagged out. He sat in a stand 100 yards northwest of where I shot my doe yesterday. Shortly after sun up the wind started to really pick up. I hate deer hunting in the wind so I decided to stay home this morning. We'll it sure worked out for dad this morning.



Being the great son I am I carted dad's deer for him.