Some of the TV experts are now Iowa residents, so drawing a tag is as easy as walking into Wal-Mart. I know Lakoskis live in Iowa and I think maybe the Kiskys do too now. They can purchase resident tags for $27.50, plus landowner tags at $2 each!
As for the others, I suppose the sponsors ante up for the auction tags.
Don't be too downhearted. There are some areas of the state with quite a few trophy bucks, but most of the state just has lots of big bodied deer (bucks and does) thanks to the generous donations of corn from our local farmers, most of whom would just as soon see ALL of the deer hanging on the wall. Lately, Iowa has gotten lots of press and even more hype, some deserved, much not.
It's kind of irritating to those of us who have been born and raised here to see the cost of tags continually rise and the posted signs increase in number thanks to the "experts" and their TV shows.