PEAX Equipment

Iowa public land success

IAhawks84

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Joined
Feb 17, 2019
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101
Hey everyone,
Hope everyone's seasons have been going well. I've been really busy with work lately so my hunting season has been short. Very short. Anyways, here we go.

I hunt a combination of private and public ground here in Iowa. For bow season, things start to get interesting around Halloween where I hunt. I usually go out a few times beforehand to get all the "bugs" worked out and back in the tree stand groove. Well, I didn't make it out this year for the first time until Saturday 11/7. Forecast was windy as hell, but I went out.
Saturday was a bust. Jumped one small doe on the way back to the truck. The squirrels and rabbits kept my attention however, and the relaxation was very nice.

I got up early Sunday morning. Forecast was windy, but you're not going to shoot them from the couch. Since I had not done much for scouting, I was just hunting off my knowledge of hunting the area for years. I choose a spot in a drainage where I regularly see does. The rut was really kicking up so I followed the old hunt does during the rut and you'll find bucks.

First light comes and a younger doe sneaks up behind me. The wind was blowing so I thought I had heard something, and she snuck in. She winded around to the downwind side of me and didn't act phased one bit. I was pretty excited as I knew my scent control was good.

About 15 minutes later I hear leaves crunching. I slowly look and it's another two does. I then see horns following them. From a distance and through the trees this deer looked like a lot of others I had shot. He then turned and I could see how wide he was. I had a shot 15-20 yards broadside, but had a branch. I was able to make a good shot. He went 20 yards and tipped out. When I got down, he was actually larger than I had thought originally. It was very short, but a very exciting hunt. IMG_20201108_091544195_HDR.jpgIMG_20201108_081426528_HDR.jpgIMG_20201108_071920277.jpgIMG_20201108_071304428.jpgIMG_20201108_091544195_HDR.jpgIMG_20201108_081426528_HDR.jpgIMG_20201108_081426528_HDR.jpgIMG_20201108_071920277.jpgIMG_20201108_071304428.jpg
 
Great buck. Congrats! I love hunting hardwood ridges during the IA whitetail rut. Nice work.
 
Thanks everyone! Whitetails are our only big game, but we've got some pretty nice ones out here!
 

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