Who here has deer hunted in the Hawkeye State lately?

[TomTeriffic]

Tom, Genuinely not trying to be rude, but curious (you got me!)

My point is, why does Iowa allow a .35 Whelen during its two so-called "shotgun" deer seasons but NOT a .243 Winchester during those seasons. What is the logic behind such caliber restrictions? It's not rocket science. What does the state have against sub-35 caliber rifles for deer?

 

[TomTeriffic]

So Tom needs a new rifle and some points to hunt Iowa... If he's in Sioux Falls, he should just focus on SD... Or come to MN. Anyone can buy a tag here! Rifle zone is only a 4 hour drive from Sioux Falls.

I'm only intersted in harvesting a doe anyway. I'm considering living in SD or IA in the near future. I hate Oklahoma. I'm not crazy about Kansas or Missouri. I saw the 1996 movie Fargo and North Dakota looks too damned cold. Nebraska and Minnesota are not yet Constitution Carry states. Being able to carry concealed permitless is important for me. I want to live in a northern mid-western American state that is permitless. I had been considering Sioux Falls but the winters might not be so harsh in Des Moines. Des Moines is larger than Sioux Falls and may have more job and housing opportuinties for me to boot. The northern mid-west is certainly lusher and greener than SW Oaklhoma. The larger cities in the northern mid-west are more modern and progressive than in a Southern state like Oklahoma. Iowa is supposed to have well-maintained roads/city streets and is supposed to be better equipped than the Dakotas for winter snow removal. IA should also be a wingshooter's paradise. Northern states are not so summertime scortching. Climate-wise, Iowa should be a compromise between the arctic-like winters of the Dakotas and the tropical steamy jungle-like summers of Oklahoma. All those corn farms! What could make doves happier and fatter?

 

[Gellar]

I'm only intersted in harvesting a doe anyway. I'm considering living in SD or IA in the near future. I hate Oklahoma. I'm not crazy about Kansas or Missouri. I saw the 1996 movie Fargo and North Dakota looks too damned cold. Nebraska and Minnesota are not yet Constitution Carry states. Being able to carry concealed permitless is important for me. I want to live in a northern mid-western American state that is permitless. I had been considering Sioux Falls but the winters might not be so harsh in Des Moines. Des Moines is larger than Sioux Falls and may have more job and housing opportuinties for me to boot. The northern mid-west is certainly lusher and greener than SW Oaklhoma. The larger cities in the northern mid-west are more modern and progressive than in a Southern state like Oklahoma. Iowa is supposed to have well-maintained roads/city streets and is supposed to be better equipped than the Dakotas for winter snow removal. IA should also be a wingshooter's paradise. Northern states are not so summertime scortching. Climate-wise, Iowa should be a compromise between the arctic-like winters of the Dakotas and the tropical steamy jungle-like summers of Oklahoma. All those corn farms! What could make doves happier and fatter?

Welcome to Iowa, Tom! Another 1996 blockbuster movie, Twister, was filmed in Iowa. just sayin…

 

[crock239]

My point is, why does Iowa allow a .35 Whelen during its two so-called "shotgun" deer seasons but NOT a .243 Winchester during those seasons. What is the logic behind such caliber restrictions? It's not rocket science. What does the state have against sub-35 caliber rifles for deer?

Ok, gotcha. Yeah, I hunt archery and generally avoid the woods during Iowa shotgun seasons. The straight wall cartridge thing is fairly new, used to be shotguns only. I presume it has to do with effective range but don't concern myself too much about it.

Your new Sako is pretty, so is my M70 fwt 300wsm, but you're correct I don't hunt w it in IA.

If you want to hunt deer in IA with a firearm, get a muzzleloader, and live in state.

If you want to hunt deer with a rifle, and be closer to a wingshooters paradise, live in SD.

Now the really fun part:

US interstates are numbered like this....odd numbers go north-south and increase from west to east across the country (e.g. I-5 on west coast, I-95 on east coast)

Even numbers run east-west and increase in number from south to north (e.g. I-10 in TX, LA etc. And I-80 in WY, NE, IA, IL etc.)

Spur interstates (that's my term not looking up the official terminology) are three-digit, and a bypass loop starts w even number, connects to interstate on both ends and is often a full loop (I-235 is a bypass loop off I-35 that goes through Des Moines; I-285 is a complete loop around Hotlanta )

And a three digit interstate that starts with an odd number is a true spur that "dead-ends" (e.g. I-385 is interstate offshoot of I-85 that dead-ends in Greenville SC)

 

[TomTeriffic]

Welcome to Iowa, Tom! Another 1996 blockbuster movie, Twister, was filmed in Iowa. just sayin…

Oklahoma City is the heart of Tornado Alley. I'm in Lawton/Fort Sill, Ok now and there has not been a recorded tornado death here since 1979. My research has indicated that tornado deaths in and around Des Moines are far and few between. 94 total tornado deaths for IA since 1950. 1.3 torndao deaths per year on average. Most tornadoes in and around Des Moines have been baby tornadoes not exceeding EF2. I'm not in IA yet.

 

[Bowmannate2000]

Oklahoma City is the heart of Tornado Alley. I'm in Lawton/Fort Sill, Ok now and there has not been a recorded tornado death here since 1979. My research has indicated that tornado deaths in and around Des Moines are far and few between. 94 total tornado deaths for IA since 1950. 1.3 torndao deaths per year on average. Most tornadoes in and around Des Moines have been baby tornadoes not exceeding EF2. I'm not in IA yet.

I think Sioux Falls and Des Moines are basically the same climate. I would prefer Sioux Falls myself to Des Moines and South Dakota in general. You shouldn't have any trouble finding work in Sioux Falls.

 

[TomTeriffic]

I think Sioux Falls and Des Moines are basically the same climate. I would prefer Sioux Falls myself to Des Moines and South Dakota in general. You shouldn't have any trouble finding work in Sioux Falls.

I may have trouble finding housing within my budget in Sioux Falls. Des Moines enjoys shorter winters and more sunny days and days above freezing. I hear some of the roads/streets can be rough in Sioux Falls as they are here in Oklahoma and in the Texas Panhandle. Iowa is supposed to have modern, well-maintained roads and the Iowa road crews are supposed to be well-equipped to handle snow promptly and aggressively. Iowa might even be a better state for dove seasons vs the Dakotas. I know IA dove seasons are long from Sept. 1 into November.

If I were richer, I might favor having a home in the Rapid City area near the lovely Black Hills as opposed to other flatter/boring parts of the mid-west. If I were a millionaire, I would probably have a hunting lodge up in the woodlands of New England, New Hampshire. I love the woodsy NH home of this Mr. GunBlue490:

Here is Mr. Gun Blue in his pretty New Hampshire home in the woodland. He lives there with his wife and his nice bird dog, Benny. That Norman Rockwell real estate doesn't look cheap. Of course, there is no dove season in New England so I would probably need another little joint in prime dove country, say Iowa, as a rich guy for that occassion. Mr. Gun Blue hunts whitetail deer, pheasant, chucks, squirrels in pro-gun New Hampshire. he also owns a boat for fishing seasons. He harvests maple syrup from his own private sugar maple grove. Mr. Gun Blue is an old-fashioned practical DIY man. He is barbering his own dog instead of paying big bucks to a doggie beauty shop. An American Boomer with thrift and industry.

This is the picture of the American Dream in action. Mr. Gun Blue with Kabota tractor for winter snow:

 

[grizzly63]

You can hunt Coyotes to your hearts content with that little 243 in IOWA. There more challenging than deer anyway. Iowa would be a good place for you. You could wander around.

 

[TomTeriffic]

You can hunt Coyotes to your hearts content with that little 243 in IOWA. There more challenging than deer anyway. Iowa would be a good place for you. You could wander around.

I don't fancy eating yote meat and .243 ammo seems too pricey for varmints. I think I would need some rifle that fires a handgun round during normal deer seasons. It's gotta be between .35 and .500 caliber. How about a Rossi rifle or carbine in .45 Colt? .357 Magnum?

 

[geetar]

I don’t understand why it’s a problem. I mean a 12 ga slug gun is a cannon compared to a .243. You ever shot a deer with a slug gun? I killed my first deer with one 18 years ago and I knocked him off his feet. It’s pretty lethal. I’d be more offended if they forced me to use a small caliber rifle.

 

[BTripp86]

Really wish it was still shotgun only. Wait a few years and normal rifle cartridges and crossbows will be legal in iowa. The Lobbyists are hard at work every day trying to make it happen.

Gun season in Iowa used to be a few friends and family getting together to do a few deer drives with their 870s. Now it has turned into groups of 30-40 guys with ARs and 30 round magazines. Lots of dangerous situations and wounded deer.

Hell they been doing that long before straight wall cartridges became legal. I've seen some shit driving through southern Iowa during shotgun seasons (think, 5 acre woodlot in middle of cornfield with 20 guys literally surrounding it and winging slugs every which way). I remember a work buddy pulling into the parking lot one day with a shopping bag full of slugs, like maybe 50 rounds. "Got stocked up for 1st shotgun this weekend" I'm like " you really use that many slugs in a 5 day season?" "Oh yeah" *Horrified look on my face. Yalls gun seasons are something else.

 

[brian flatlander]

My point is, why does Iowa allow a .35 Whelen during its two so-called "shotgun" deer seasons but NOT a .243 Winchester during those seasons. What is the logic behind such caliber restrictions? It's not rocket science. What does the state have against sub-35 caliber rifles for deer?

cause they can

 

[huntnfisher]

Sure would like to hunt in Iowa!

 

[Wildabeest]

Imagine the poor bastard in Sioux Falls whose neighbor just moved away. He has no idea what he’s about to inherit next door.

 

[Hircine]

How to avoid paying for excessive hunting licenses and tags for deer in iowa. Drive around rural areas during the rut until you hit a deer. Call it in and enjoy.

 

[Hircine]

Looking at a map of De Moines I noticed two Interstate highways near there both ending in "35". I do know there is an I-35 that runs through Oklahoma City and I have been on it but that is neither here nor there. I don't give a damn where these roads end or begin. Please look at a map to see what I mean. I guess it is just a mere coincidence that the IA state capital city has two highways connected with it containing the numerals "35". Whether these highway namesakes inspired IA game regulators to impose a 35-caliber miniumum bullet diameter for rifles during most deer seasons, I don't know. It was just an observation.

I'm considering Des Moines as a possible future home town. I will have to cope with IA game laws if I want to hunt in that state. As the law stands now, I can only take my .243 to the field during the special January antlerless season which is conditional. There will either be surplus tags for this opportunity available to purchase for this special hunt or their won't be.

I don't understand why a .35 Whelen rifle is permitted but a .243 rifle is not during most IA gun deer seasons.

What draws you to Des Moines?

 

[trackerbacker]

The anterless/special /conditional seasons allow any rifle north of 223, presuming they're open and you can get a tag or two. Generally, they are, not always, but a good portion yea.

I hit allamakee and Winn last year with two tags. Was a blast. Ran into a few trappers and hmong over the season. Heard and ran into zero deer hunters within my proximity (or parking lot for that matter-fresh snow no new tracks).

Make it work.

 

[TheGrayRider]

What happened to TomTerrific? Was he banned? Fired? Disappeared?

 

[Dave N]

Shhhhhh.

 

[WildWill]

What happened to TomTerrific? Was he banned? Fired? Disappeared?

Yes banned then created a new account immediately and barely tried to hide who he was and got the boot again. His name has been said so much lately I'm worried about a Beetlejuice type situation happening. I'm with @Dave N let's all Shhhhh.