My 2025 Iowa season

[duckhunt]

Might as well kick off the new season. Cold and windy weekend I decided to leave the ice fishing gear at home. We are at the cabin for the weekend so I figured on some hiking. Yellow river state forest has about 60 miles of hiking trails so I figured that's a good start in preparation for my fall hunting season. Hopefully a colorado elk muzzy tag will be in my pocket. Plan is to do these 60 miles in addition to other hikes and also a few mtn tough programs.

Did a quick 2.17 miles after breakfast this morning. A few things to do today with the wife but hopefully do a couple more miles this afternoon.

 

[Maverick1]

Good luck this season! I briefly look at the Yellow River SF a few years ago. Lots of land!

 

[WildWill]

Considering doing a CO muzzy elk tag this year myself. With the weather we've had recently I'm sticking to the treadmill for now.

 

[duckhunt]

I sure haven't done much so far this year. Finally got out on the water with dad for some walleye fishing. A big goose egg for the morning. I missed one fish and dad donated about 20 dollars worth of jigs to the snags.

 

[Gellar]

View attachment 365853

I sure haven't done much so far this year. Finally got out on the water with dad for some walleye fishing. A big goose egg for the morning. I missed one fish and dad donated about 20 dollars worth of jigs to the snags.

You are staying a long ways from the float.

 

[duckhunt]

You are staying a long ways from the float.

We tried both sides and went down stream. Yeah it was like bumper boats over by the float. I hate that chit.

 

[duckhunt]

Windy cold morning. I met dad at the bait shop in Genoa WI to get nonresident fishing license. Weather was decent and warm but just as we walk out it starts to pour. The rain only lasted about 5 minutes as we drove to the boat ramp. As we are putting the boat in the temp dropped about 15 degrees and the wind started blowing like crazy. Rumor is the bite was hot yesterday but not a single bite this morning. I'm guessing the cold front probably had something to do with it.

 

[kiwi hunter]

I find the the animals come out for good feed just before the front hits, same with fishing obviously. Get ahead of the next front.

 

[Gellar]

I find the the animals come out for good feed just before the front hits, same with fishing obviously. Get ahead of the next front.

The Mississippi River makes some of the best professional anglers look silly. There’s a lot more to the river than cold fronts and warm fronts. Rising, falling or steady river plus the pool level can play huge and change daily, if not by the hour. Turbidity with the massive amount of drainage that the river takes it may not have rained for a week but all of a sudden water clarity is zero and the level rises three feet because of snowmelt in Minnesota.

 

[johnp]

The Big River seems to be especially stingy for me this spring . The low water I think is the main culprit, but I'm gonna try again for a while tomorrow .

 

[duckhunt]

Water temp was 46.

 

[Gellar]

Water temp was 46.

It was 45 when I went on Wednesday.

 

[duckhunt]

Really been a slow spring for me in the outdoors. A little fishing with only a few fish in the freezer, a little mushroom hunting with none found, and just a little hiking in Iowas driftless region.

With high hopes of drawing my colorado muzzy elk tag in a couple weeks I pulled the muzzy out of the cabinet and pulled the scope on and put the open sights on. I hope I didn't ginks myself in the draw.

 

[WildWill]

Really been a slow spring for me in the outdoors. A little fishing with only a few fish in the freezer, a little mushroom hunting with none found, and just a little hiking in Iowas driftless region.

With high hopes of drawing my colorado muzzy elk tag in a couple weeks I pulled the muzzy out of the cabinet and pulled the scope on and put the open sights on. I hope I didn't ginks myself in the draw.

View attachment 372101

What bullets you running for Colorado?

 

[duckhunt]

What bullets you running for Colorado?

These are the two I have been playing around with. So far I like the accuracy of the ballistic tip.



I've used powerbelts deer hunting but not impressed with the expansion.
Also tried hornady but they seem to load really hard.

 

[WildWill]

These are the two I have been playing around with. So far I like the accuracy of the ballistic tip.

View attachment 372105View attachment 372106

I've used powerbelts deer hunting but not impressed with the expansion.
Also tried hornady but they seem to load really hard.

Been using the 300gr BT for years with success. Hope the draw goes your way!

 

[duckhunt]

Got out fishing one morning last weekend but it was tough, no fish landed. We did inherit my sons dog liam (American bully) when he moved to Minnesota so got him out for a boat ride.



Scored a colorado muzzy tag with a buddy from work today. My other boy got a elk muzzy tag for a unit not far to the east of ours.

Still waiting on a wyoming whitetail doe tag, and hopefully south dakota pheasant hunt.

 

[duckhunt]

Did some hiking over the weekend. 6.85 miles on the boots.

Cool overlook

Deer

Mushrooms


Some native burial mounds

 

[duckhunt]

Marinated antelope backstrap with rice and fried potatoes for supper.

 

[duckhunt]

Took a day trip to Myre big lake state park today in Albert Lea mn to see my son this morning. 4.5 mile hike on the boots then lunch together.