Iowa report from today

B

Bob Peters

Well-known member
I took a day off from the Salt mines and traveled south to the fields of dreams. Iowa public land hunting. I started at a spot where the corn had come out sometime in the last 6 days. My worst fears came true, after sitting in the truck for almost 2 hours the dogs hit hot scent within minutes. I kept up however, and managed to get my first easy miss out of the way right quick😬. Not a great start. After that we walked a looong time with not much to see. Actually before leaving I circled back to the spot of my miss and the dogs got hot again and this time I blasted one at close range. Whew, the skunk was out of the boat, so to speak. The second spot was a gong show, meaning I missed an easy shot and hit another bird we couldn't find. Things just weren't going right. I'm not one to quit. Headed to a third spot, which was loaded last Saturday. The dog got birdy and lo and behold caught a live cripple! I'll take it! We never flushed a bird in that field other than the cripple. With 430 fast approaching we walked adjoining ditches. With about 4 minutes left Skye got on a bird and was running all around a barb wire fence, that always makes me pucker up. She put up a rooster and I actually made a good shot and we had a limit! It might take me all day, but I never quit. We'll be back at it tomorrow. Totally different area.20231110_165249.jpg
 
My wife likes to go with me once per season to walk and see our dogs work. This was the weekend and it was fun. I got my limit by 1:45 on Fri but it took until 3 on Sat. Man the wind was horrible Sat. Strictly ditch hunting. Ditches are always a mixture of reading the terrain and luck. We did a lot of walking. Saw a lot of bucks this weekend. The rut is ON. We only hunted a couple hours today (Sun) and got no shots but left very satisfied with 6 birds. It was nice to get home early and clean the road dust out of the truck.
 
I've been ditch hunting more this year. Really a lot of fun! Saturday with the wind scenting was tough for the dogs. I was parked and seen a hunting truck with two dog boxes in the bed slow roll a ditch, obviously looking for birds. I got out as soon as they passed and walked the ditch with the dogs. They got on a scent and flushed a hen. I called no bird. Shortly after they flushed two roosters and I knocked them both down. I still mainly hunt public land chunks, but I won't pass by a good looking ditch anymore!
 
Found on the internet, so it must be true. In Iowa, road hunting is allowed, but guns must be unloaded and cased in a vehicle unless the gun owner has a permit to carry a concealed firearm.
 
Depends on your definition of road hunting. It is legal to walk on a dirt road or in the ditch to hunt in Iowa. Kevin is correct about driving.
If you happen to see a bird while driving you can exit your vehicle, uncase/load your gun and go after it. Im not certain how far you must be from your vehicle. I dont recall seeing it in the regs. In MN its 20 yards.
 
Westok said:
so hunting along roads is legal in Iowa?
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Non highways, yes. You can walk the right of way, which is usually 15' from the road. You can cross a fence to get your dead bird as well, just cannot take a gun.

If hunting with vehicle to spot birds, your gun has to be cased and unloaded unless you have a CCW permit. Even then you need to back off the bird and get out and walk up to it a little ways, cannot shoot from vehicle or hop out the door and shoot or its using a vehicle to aid.

You can shoot from the road as well, with a shotgun shooting shot, dont have to be in the ditch.
 
We struggled in Iowa this past weekend. The fields are super dry and tough on the dogs. Put up 30 hens one day but only a handful of roosters. Hunted hard on all public. Not much to show for all the hard work and beat up dogs. Didn't hear many shots but saw plenty of hunters. Most guys at the hotel had about the same luck, 1-3 birds a day per group.
 
Bob Peters said:
I took a day off from the Salt mines and traveled south to the fields of dreams. Iowa public land hunting. I started at a spot where the corn had come out sometime in the last 6 days. My worst fears came true, after sitting in the truck for almost 2 hours the dogs hit hot scent within minutes. I kept up however, and managed to get my first easy miss out of the way right quick😬. Not a great start. After that we walked a looong time with not much to see. Actually before leaving I circled back to the spot of my miss and the dogs got hot again and this time I blasted one at close range. Whew, the skunk was out of the boat, so to speak. The second spot was a gong show, meaning I missed an easy shot and hit another bird we couldn't find. Things just weren't going right. I'm not one to quit. Headed to a third spot, which was loaded last Saturday. The dog got birdy and lo and behold caught a live cripple! I'll take it! We never flushed a bird in that field other than the cripple. With 430 fast approaching we walked adjoining ditches. With about 4 minutes left Skye got on a bird and was running all around a barb wire fence, that always makes me pucker up. She put up a rooster and I actually made a good shot and we had a limit! It might take me all day, but I never quit. We'll be back at it tomorrow. Totally different area.View attachment 6493
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Good job.Thats not easy in Iowa probably.
 
Went out this past friday on my way back home from a SD trip that was cut short. Hunted 2 spots first thing in the morning, saw a lot of birds leaving the field at 7:30, heard them around 7:45 and then nothing when we walked the fields. Driving to my next spot that produced well over 100 birds on opener I stumbled upon a new IHAP that wasn't on OnX or on the DNR website but was fully signed. I pulled in around 11am and by 11:20 I had my 3 birds with many more birds flushed. Got 15 yards from the truck on the walk back and put up a dozen bird flush with 8 of them being roosters all within 10 yards of me. I am guessing they haven't been hunted as they weren't spooked easily. I know where I will be heading back to this upcoming weekend!
 
Bob Peters said:
I generally don't hunt spots on opener unless they'll kick out 175 birds. And that's low end. I want my limit in under 10 minutes so I can go tailgate and watch the cyclones take on SDSU.
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Not sure how this spot continually creates so many birds, but every year for the past 4-5 years we have put up anywhere from 75-150 birds on the sunday of opening weekend. I have some friends that hunted this spot last week two days in a row and they said they had numerous flushes of 20-30 birds and easily saw 75-100 birds a day on this piece. Needless to say it's a honey hole, just wish it was closer to home!
 
waterdog09 said:
Went out this past friday on my way back home from a SD trip that was cut short. Hunted 2 spots first thing in the morning, saw a lot of birds leaving the field at 7:30, heard them around 7:45 and then nothing when we walked the fields. Driving to my next spot that produced well over 100 birds on opener I stumbled upon a new IHAP that wasn't on OnX or on the DNR website but was fully signed. I pulled in around 11am and by 11:20 I had my 3 birds with many more birds flushed. Got 15 yards from the truck on the walk back and put up a dozen bird flush with 8 of them being roosters all within 10 yards of me. I am guessing they haven't been hunted as they weren't spooked easily. I know where I will be heading back to this upcoming weekend!
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What county--or tri county area--has that type of population in 2023? Sounds more like the hay days?!
 
Prairie Sunsets said:
What county--or tri county area--has that type of population in 2023? Sounds more like the hay days?!
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I havent seen 20 birds yet this season (hens included). 100+ birds and giant flushes 15 yards from truck definitely doesnt seem the norm anymore on the east side. Must be out west in the hills
 
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