My season has been strange. 75% of the corn is still in the field. My go to stands are quiet. I can hear them and see them in the corn. Not much at all in the woods. I think they are not moving to the bedding area much at all. Just staying in the corn.
I have seen that the bucks are broke up and starting to trail does. The does don't seem interested yet.
Just wondering what everyone else is seeing?
K
I have not been out yet. The deer in the woods around my house are still around. The does, fawns and yearlings are kind of buched up now. I have a pair of forkhorns that are still buddied up. The big buck that was running with them all summer has not been around. I hope he hasn't hit a car. No rutting action to speak of yet. I have my daughters wedding to host this Saturday, then I may get myself a deer tag.
I wish i could see iowa,What a pain just in trying to get a tag.Good luck and show me some big ones. :thumbsup:
About all I have been seeing is standing corn. I haven't had the chance to drop the string yet. Things should be starting up real soon though. This weekend should be good for the rattling horns.
I did find a nice little scrap line last week.
Good luck to everyone and hunt safe!
Been mighty slow so far. Way too much crop in the field in north central Iowa. Almost all of the corn still in and half the beans.
High water makes access to half dozen of my best stands impossible. Haven't seen one buck I would draw on yet. Did manage to take a nice doe early. Scant sign in the timber. Looks like the rut will happen in the middle of a standing corn field.
My sightings in southeast Iowa are similar. No corn harvested...most of the beans still in the fields. My best stands located next to a standing corn field show little activity. Best activity has been near oaks dropping acorns and a few small clover plots.
Saw two 120ish bucks this week end less than 15 yarsd away, but I have the the first 2 full weeks of Nov. off so I will let you know when I return. sure wish more of the corn was out. we had 4 1/2 inches of rain last week and it brought the combines to a dead stop.
doug77
Lots of does, but only a few very small bucks!
Does mostly. Did get a couple good pictures on trail cameras this last weekend. This is my first year trad. So I need to be real close. My son did get a nice buck with compound gross 133 6/8 Sat.evening. Still a lot of corn in the field in SC Iowa.
Where I hunt, I've seen a few does--mostly pretty small and no bucks. I haven't missed yet this year--but I have not had an opportunity to shoot either.
I am heading to NE Iowa on Nov 6. I hope things pick up. Jim
I have been out a total of 6 times and have not seen a buck yet. I will hit it hard this weekend!!! I am however having a great year...2 shots and 2 does.
Things are starting to pic up around here small bucks are starting to run around rubbing trees and sparing ,, dig B
I've been trying for does and seeing mostly bucks. Only one that I would have shot had he cooperated. As everyone else said, they are in the corn. My son and I have stands next to some cornfields, so we are seeing a few, but no rutting action yet. I am still seeing bachelor groups of bucks, so I'd say we are a week or so away. I'll keep at it every weekend though. I wish the rain would stop so some of the corn would come out though!
Ive been some does and a few small bucks, nothing eye catching yet. I'm thinking about taking off Nov 9 to the 13th from work to hunt.
The farmer that farms my land lost his grain bin to a fire. I think my corn field will be staying full for rut. Just hope I can get a big boy to come out looking for a lady!
Corn, mud,wind,corn,beans,mud,rain,wind. A few doe,s today.One at five yards. Oh did i mention mud?
rain forcasted for tomorrow. AGAIN.
doug77
That's because I have tommorrow afternoon off Doug. LOL!
I am hunting a bean field but they don't seem to be too intrigued by beans... no corn around me and I am not seeing as many in the timber as normal. They are in the corn for sure, just not close to my farm. The rut will ignite the first week of November would be my guess. I hope I can post another big buck on the wall soon
Saw my first deer this AM. Nice big buck about 40 yards away. No shot chance.
"75% of the corn is still in the field."
I think those are the magic words.
Here in Maine the hunting has been slow. Gun season opens Friday and no buck activity at all that I've seen. Must be a deer conspiracy...
Most of the corn and beans are still in the fields around Sioux City and Northwest Iowa. I have been out 3 times and only seen a few does and a couple small bucks. Not much on the trail cam either. Haven't seen any signs of the rut yet other than a few rubs. I think the older Bucks are staying nocternal yet but that should change soon. The Indians say the Deer rut will start when you can hang your powder horn from the moon. With all the rain be nice to see the moon.
Greywolf and i took a ride to the river tonight and seen plenty of deer movement. Seen four real nice bucks and several does feeding along the roads. Of course all after dark 7pm. Seen a huge buck jump out of Gene Wensels back yard onto the road in front of us. He must be feeding him for the book. To bad Lease hunters got my ground he might have made it to my stand.
I'm leaving for Iowa in 4 days. Any updates? Jim
I suppose it varies where your at here in Iowa but here around the Jefferson/Van buren county line so far as i have seen is lots of movement at night. Couple Monsters been slaughtered on the highways at night. Seen few does out around 10 to 12 am. Talked to a young couple he shot at a huge buck in the evening. At my spots little bucks trolling around and the does are nervous. Starting to see a few more scrapes and rubs,in the woods, but no big ones. At least were i hunt. Tons of corn and beans still in. Some farmers were working today on corn in this area at least on higher ground. Pheasant hunters are out and about down here stirring up the ditches and waterways. And Saturday Trapping season starts. That always helps stir movement in a few areas of mine. Windy last few days, warmer. But in the morning were hoping for 30's. Going out again.
Jim,
Deer are starting to move and farmers got back in the fields today. This week's forcast isn't too bad and alot of crops should be coming out.
I haven't had anything respond to the antlers yet, but did grunt in a nice eight pointer Saturday morning. He crossed the creek and stood quartering to me at 15 yards looking for the other buck, then turn back and walked straight away without giving me a good shot angle. Saturday, I also saw a small forky that my daughter and I have seen 3-4 times now. He bedded down about 40 yards from my stand. Sunday morning I had a six point feed through on the acorns and saw three other deer while going in and out. One was a nice big doe, the other all I seen was tails in the dark. Sunday night, I sat the other side of the farm I hunt and only saw one coyote, which walked up the hill and layed down in the leaves and took a nap for 45 minutes or so, within 75 yards of me, before moving off on his way. Had a full moon this weekend and some breezy conditions, but things have definitely improved and starting to dry up. The thing that will help the most is the corn coming out. Next weekend should be really good. I will be rattling some and keeping the grunt call close at hand.
Good luck!
Chris
I had a 140 class 8 pointer broadside and totally unaware at 30 yards on Sunday morning. No intention of shooting such a "dink" at this point with bigger deer seen in the past couple weeks. I will begin hunting in earnest this Saturday and Sunday.
I am planning on arriving in Clayton County Friday evening and start hunting on Saturday morning. Our season in Colorado has been over for over a month so I am ready. Jim
Saturday night I seen 5 bucks from 80" to 160", the 140 and 160 didnt want anything to do with me, the little guys were hot on a doe. I think you will have good timing on your hunt Jimscol. Things should be hot by then!
Listening to the radio this morning, the local news is still reporting 75% of crops remain in the field due to the wet weather.......increadible.
I had a doe come in at 30 yards. I don't shoot past 20. As she moved away I used her as a decoy and did an estrus bleat. It brought in a nice 10 pointer. He went straight after her. I out him to stop and take a look my way, but he never came into range. It was sooooo nice to see a buck out moving. I have had no luck with the horns. Will be out tomorrow. Good luck everyone!
Prior to the season I was keeping long distance tabs on a 180 and two 130 to 150 class bucks that were keeping the big boy company. According to the game warden, nothing has been taken from the area other than a couple of small bucks. I had a 450 pounder come within five yards of me again the other night. Trouble is, it is a cow elk.
The guys at work today saw bucks from little guys to a 150's out and about throughout the day today. I was in the office but did see a 130 at 4:00 on the way home. My father in law had three bucks in his cornfield when he called at 1:00, the biggest was a 130 class. All had their noses down searching.
First good day in the woods.Greywolf sat in her blind and i went to a stand i have in the middle of a timber on an logging road. My stand is up about eight feet. Had a forky walk by at 7am went down to the creek bottom. Watched several does behind Greywolf and then this nice eight point buck comes from her ridge. I stood and was all ready when he came up about ten yards in front of me. He looked at me than decided i was no threat and turns broadside. I drew on him but something in me made me just hold on him. He walked behind trees and i just let him go. Later he came back and i passed on him again. Than more does and everything disappeared around 10 am. Tonight went and hunted along corn field, Greywolf sat at a crossing in the corner near the road and i went up the ditch. I had a huge body buck come right under me but his rack was busted up. Again only ten feet off the ground. He has me pegged but couldn't make me out. Everytime i tryed to draw he would hear or sense my movement and look at me. We played that game for a while and he got to far out. That was at last light. Rained a little tonight down here. And the wind came up. Going to go out tomorrow and rattle, snort fart whatever it takes to get ones attention out of the corn fields...
They are starting to act like dogs.....it's on.
I have next week off to hunt. Hoping I can get a decent buck in range. Going to try to hunt my place first, then the end of the week going down to southern iowa to hunt with a friend.