Good luck with that. Normal to see a lot of some animal when you aren't hunting them. Hopefully you get the tag and a bear.
Well guys, this might be a little long. Today is the 4th time since March that I have went down and checked cameras, I live an hour and a half away from my land. So I try and make it down when I can during the off seasons. Most of you probably know that Iowa went through one hell of a bout with EHD last summer. Today I realized just how bad it really was. I was talking with my bosses cousin, who ironically lives in the same town that I hunt in. If that isn't ironic enough for you, he owns the 3000k acres that is next to my land (whoa). Total mind blow small world yada yada yada. So we get to talking, and he shows me pics of what he found last year. In 1/4 mile stretch along the river that runs through our woods, he found 33 dead deer. 21 of those dead deer are bucks, spikes to big hogs. this totally makes my jaw drop. He found one that would it have been taken by anybody it would have been a new state record. I am completely heartbroken by this. This year was supposed to be a good year. My best friend is suppose to come back and hunt with me this fall, he hasn't been able to the last 3 years. We had a lot of good deer on camera last year that thought we would pass on, and just so happened to not see during season. So pretty much EHD sucks, Iowa DNR estimated that for the county I hunt in there was a 65% herd loss. I have a very hard time believing that number. I have ran cameras from March till today, and have over 4k in pics. of 4 different does, and now 2 fawns and 1 buck. Last year I wouldn't have been able to keep track of the number of does I had on cam. There were some pics where I had 7-8 does on one. I believe this herd loss percentage number is low, I would guess it has to be closer to 80%. Bottom line, EHD sucks, especially when you go from having deer like this 1 shooter last year, 1 shooter this year, and some up and comers to nothing. But I guess everything happens for a reason. And the good lord has a plan for everything. I went down today and collected 2500 more pics. And after I found out that info and got my pics I was pretty bummed. I buzzed through the pics in the car before I left, and didn't wanna look at them again. But I got home, and something was telling me to look at them again. So I did, and wouldn't ya know it, theres a little glimmer of hope, he's real hard to see, but you can see 3 and with brow tines he's a little 8. So this guy is probably the alpha buck in my yard now lol. But you have to start somewhere and who knows what will roam in during the rut. So, my morale is low but not as low as it was after finding that little guy on cam. And oh yea, thats the first coyote Ive ever had on camera. Good luck to us all this year guys!
Way to go Frazier. Good luck on the recovery. Mike.....you must be in southern Iowa. Heard a lot of similar stories. Really too bad, but some bucks may have made it and might enter new territory once the rut hits. Still plenty of potential. I understand the disappointment though. Sometimes I wonder if I take for granted the deer we have and if it will ever change drastically. Hope not.
Congrats Shaun! Hopefully the rest of us can start putting does down pretty soon Sent from my HTC VLE_U using Tapatalk 2
Smoked heart is supposed to be good. I haven't tried it, but plan on it this year. I usually shoot through the heart and nothing is left. Haha. I kid. NE Iowa. Mt Ayr is a good area. Know someone that has some land near there and the same thing happened. Near a big lake. Can't think of the name. Sunny something? We are about 5 hours apart. Used to live in Des Moines and work in southern Iowa. I have seen a ton of big Deer in people's homes there. It was before I started bowhunting. Used to only go muzzle loader and shotgun.
Well boys. I was going to hit up some public land this morning and try to stick a doe but I got held up at the library working on my engineering project until about 1 am. Needless to say I'm ready for some tree stand time. Headed south to my place about 2 hours. Monster raxx and corn going out this afternoon. S wind will keep me out until Sunday. Hopefully that North wind will come around a little sooner. I'll grab cameras when I'm out today and post what I see.
Just left my property. Sweat my d**k off and I drove the corn in. 85 degrees. Put 80 lbs mixed with whitetail magnet and a molasses block at one stand i plan on hunting Sunday and 80 lbs at my feeder... Which was dead. And full of corn. So bad news. Also both cameras had full batteries and no pictures. I think my memory cards need formatting as the cameras wouldn't turn on with the cards in. Bad news 2. Finally my farmer said little movement as it has been too hot. I'm trying to remain optimistic for my hunt Sunday. Supposed to get rain all tomorrow and night with winds switching out of the north. Guess it's time to see how well the monster raxx works. Hopefully get some early morning movement.
Good luck to anyone out this weekend. Bale blind should be finished by tomorrow. Got the frame done this morning. Pretty excited about how this is going to turn out. Also talked to neighbor farmer this morning and got a little more ground to hunt then I first thought he would let me. Doesn't hurt that I told him I would give him the meat of the first deer I kill. Our farm is right next to his. I'll bone everything out for him and he looked really excited. Not half as excited as I am to be able to hunt some of his land.
