IOWA GUYS!! What stage of the rut are we in?

[23feetupandhappy]

Originally posted by doug77:
Had a long talk with a friend from Michigan even though it's been a tough year for most of us we still live in Iowa and need to remember that. I moved hear from SW Minnesota where a 90 inch buck was a very good deer.

It's going to be a great week-end for all of us.

doug77

[Tom Leemans]

Saw my first real chasing down there Monday.

[katie]

I sat yesterday till 3. Did not see a deer. Went to town to get the kids and wrecked the car. By the time we got home after dark we had 15 does and one 150 class buck in my yard.
I have all day Fri to hunt. The Xrays show my wrist is not broke. Just praying I can pull my bow!

[doug77]

Glad your OK Katie. Good luck this week-end.

Since you don't a car to drive you'll have to spend all your time hunting LOL

doug77

[katie]

Thanks. Glad I had not picked the kids up yet!

Had 5 does and 1 small buck in the yard tonight.

[23feetupandhappy]

Glad your OK Katie!!!

[Altiman94]

Sorry to hear that Katie...Hopefully you can still get your bow back.  Season is definitely hot right now.

I'm planning a nice weekend of hunting.  If I can sneak out of work early enough I'll get out starting tonight.

[Robhood23]

Glad to hear you are ok Katie. I have been spending alot of time in northcentral Iowa and the only chasing I have seen were by scrappers up to 130" bucks. I have much bigger bucks on trailcam. I have seen does with fawns and lot's of them since the 22nd of October. I can't imagine they have been bred already but maybe I just missed it. I have not seen any fawns without a doe with them. Usually, at least in MN we see lots of does without fawns during the first 2 weeks of November. Gonna hit it again this weekend! Good luck to all and make sure to post some pics!!

[Flatshooter]

Just returned from a week hunting outside of Iowa city, zone 7. Weather was cool and very windy. We picked Nov. 9- 17 thinking we would be in the thick of the rut. That was not the case. There was some sporatic rutting activity but by no means where the bucks chasing or grunting down does. I did manage to shoot a mature  4 1/2-5 1/2 year old 10 pointer but they were just starting to show rut activity when we left for home. Seems the rut is coming on later each year.

[doug77]

Sat from sunup till 2:30 this afternoon. Never saw a deer

doug77

[Lost Creek Bows]

I shot a nice buck last night, walked all day with never finding the deer. I had lots of blood, and then he beded three time's in fifty yards, and when he got up the blood was very little of it. He went on the next guys ground to the south. I'm headed back out tomorrow to try to find him. Doug are you in timber or CRP ground. Good luck everyone this weekend they should be seeking hard.

[doug77]

Chad, Ive been hunting both. I thought with the high wind today I'd hunt some CRP the was out of the wind but that did not work out like I'd hoped

we'll see what tomorrow brings.

doug77

[Altiman94]

I had a group of 8 does come into the picked bean field tonight and didn't see a buck chasing them.  Also saw a group of 4 does on my way out and no bucks around.  I only have a doe tag left....so I wasn't too unhappy about seeing does!

[Lost Creek Bows]

I like CRP ,and a nice timber mix it seems the bucks push the does out in to the CRP to do the breeding and chasing Good luck the rest of the weekend guys and gals.

[katie]

I sat yesterday in all that wind.  I got out a bit late due to trying to tape up my wrist and not change my grip.  I saw one 3 year old buck at 9am.  He needed another year for sure. At noon I saw 3 does in the CRP.  Thought they might get trailed in but it did not happen.  Other than that just WIND!

I stayed in this morning.  My husband's cousin is sitting a food plot.  Text me at 9am that he has seen nothing yet.  I will sit today with the front moving in.

Chad- Hope you find him!  If you need help let us know.  But I am sure my hubby and I would learn more from you than we would help:)

[doug77]

Sat till 10:30 this moring. Nothing, maybe this afternoon

doug77

[doug77]

Saw a button buck about 2:30 nothing after that.

doug77

[Altiman94]

I didn't get out this morning....Saw 8 does tonight and one small fork horn just before dark.  No chasing...not sure if the ruts over or just no bucks in my area.

[katie]

I got into a stand at the top of a drainage that leads to a creek at 3. At 3:30 I saw a doe getting chased by a huge body buck down by the creek. I could not make out his rack.
At 4 the front with a NW wind moved in. The front the news said would come at 6! I got down and moved to a natural ground blind. With 45 left on the clock I saw a 10 pointer with a limp climbing the ridge towards me. Hmmm, I missed a 10 with a limp early season. I was pumped. He stopped by a scrape on that trail. I knew he would turn And and head to the last scrape before the corn field. Nope, he checked the wind and must have found love. He turned West into a bottom. As I was walking out in near dark I had 3 deer walk in front of me.  2 does and 1 buck with a limp. Redemption was at my door and the lights went out!
I think rut is back on!

[Lost Creek Bows]

Thanks for the offer Katie. I got a guy coming up Monday with a bloodhound ,he has found 20 deer so far this year in November hope its 21 after monday. My brother boy, shot a 6 1/2 year old 10 point tonight tru the front shoulders, so thats tommorrows job. Hope he has better luck finding his. It was right behind a doe. This week has been great in Southeast Iowa.