Anyone else have any whitetails to share from the midwest? After an incredible youth season with my nephews and my neighbor kid, I finally got it done in Iowa. I am fortunate to have 40 acres of timber and CRP to hunt in a good area for NW Iowa, only 25 miles from my home. It's not anything like southern IA, but it's still a blessing to have a place to go play. I have hunted it for about 6-7 years now and I'm starting to get some patterns figured out pretty well. The neighbors and I work together planting food plots and sharing trail cam pictures. I think I enjoy the off-season "work" just as much as the hunting! This is BY FAR the best year we have ever had for seeing quality bucks on both the summer trail cameras and on the hoof during the season. The rut has been crazy good here this year and I felt every sit could produce one of the 8 deer that we wanted to shoot. 4 of them died on neighboring properties before I got my chance. He isn't one of the top 5 bucks in this area, but he's the biggest one that I have shot in a LONG time, so I am very pleased with him. I had made a vow that if I shot one, that I would mount it. This would keep me from shooting other less impressive deer that I wouldn't mount anyway, and shooting one for the meat isn't necessary as we have tons of does to choose from. Anyway, here he is, before and after. The dates are off on the neighbors pics because they just don't bother to set the cameras correctly, and the times aren't correct on mine because of daylights savings time change, but the last broadside trail cam pic of him was taken 5 minutes before and 150 yards from where I shot him. Next is gun seasons here in December. My girlfriend and daughters have been shooting the muzzleloaders a lot and even my .357 revolver, so hopefully I'll have more pics to share next month. Then I can focus my efforts on where in the "west" I am going to go next year. I have never hunted outside of Iowa, so I'm looking at all options. I HAVE to do it next year, as I've come to realize it's time to start doing, and quit talking. I'm not getting any younger. Plus it will be a good reason to lay off the ice cream every night and start exercising
Now let's see some more midwest deer!