Iowa 2nd Gun Season Adventures - Deer Hunting - Deer Hunting

I will start off by saying sorry for not having pictures to post.
Well, I managed to fill my tags this season with two nice does, but man it was work. To start the season off I had made plans to hunt with the guys that I grew up hunting with. My dad a couple of brothers and their dad. Well one thing led to another and nearly last minute the brothers and their dad decided to hunt 1st season. That ment that all of the prime ground I grew up hunting was not going to be availible for my father, best friend and I to hunt. It also ment that our hunting group got really small really fast. Ok I can handle that set back, heck I live in Iowa deer are everywhere right?! So my dad got us permission to hunt a buddy’s farm. Then one of the guys I duck hunt with said it would be ok to hunt his ground but does only was the rule. These were both very nice gestures on their parts and am very thankful to them for letting us hunt. The only down side is that both farms are pretty small one is only 80 acres and the other maybe 150. Still it was better than a kick in the teeth.
My dad lives right next to 1300ac of public ground where we some times duck hunt and have often seen lots of deer. We figured we’d be fine with all that land to poke around on.
Well the first day we went out and tried our luck, My buddy Mark jumped a BIG buck and missed. I missed a doe but still had high hopes.
We wnet to sit some public land close to the house that night. After a few hours on stand without any luck Mark and I drove the property towards where my dad was sitting. He saw deer alright but they came out of the woods on to a galf course! Opps, I guess he had an issue with dropping a deer on the 5th green On the same drive I had another shot at a doe. Perfect broadside and only 50yds or so. Guess what, yep I blew that shot too For Pete’s Sake what is wrong with my shooting?? Well I must just be a bad shot so I thought.
The next morning we hunted the small farm again and I again missed an easy shot at a doe. That was it I grabbed a box out of the truck and took a few practice shots. All of them were WAY left at 15yds and low. What the heck? I must be pulling the shots I thought.
We headed back to my dad’s for lunch, he wanted to stay at the house to warm up and play with my girls. So Mark and I thought we’d try the public ground by the lake. Of the 5 to 6 miles of ground we covered we saw nearly every track that game animals in Iowa make, yet not a single critter save 1 pheasent and a few squirls. At this point Mark and I were feeling a little low and begining to curse the public ground. We got in the truck to head to the house and I said, hey lets’ drive across the bridge and check out the other side of this place. Mark’s response was “God I hope there is just one mentaly challenged deer that some how escaped the first two weekend of gun season.” We had just made it on to the public acess road when he screamed STOP! I thought I had hit a dog or something. Oh no there was a nice doe in a tiny thicket by the lake just inside of the public land. I let him out to get his gun and then parked the truck. She had bedded down in a patch of willows 150yrds from the road. With both of us questioning our shooting we thought it best to get as close as possible to the old girl. Well I got to about 30yrds while she was staring at him. I rised up my gun and let go!…. she didn’t move? I fired again….. and again. Then she got up and ran away from us injured but still moving well. What the BLEEP!!!!!! THREE SHOTS AT 30YRDS!!!!! We followed her and Mark took a shot, missed and she kept going. THAT IS IT!!! We watched her bed in another willow thicket. I went in on the far side while Mark stayed where she went in. She jumped in front of me and I let her have it at about 60yds this time. Blood came gushing out as she ran to yet another thicket. I didn’t wait this time running like a crazed preditor I tore through the willows tracking on her blood as I went I caught up to her and while she was laying down walked up to her to put two more slugs into her just to be safe.
Well we drug her out and examining her I noticed that of the 9 shots that I sent her way only 5 had hit her.
I took my gun to Scheels that night and traded it in for a 20ga 870 express with a rifled barrel. The next morning we had a late start due to an Ice storm. New gun and what not we headed to the range to sight everything in again. We were all three hitting great at 100 we hunted mostly public that day with out taking any shots.
The next morning, my last day to hunt we headed to my buddy’s place that is 150ac of great timber with ponds all over it. We sat the stands early morning freezing our na nas off. After an hour and a half I had to get down out of the wind. I walked to the edge of one of the ridges and looked down. Nothing… Well I’ll just sit at the base of the stand until Mark comes around with the 4 wheeler so I can go get some coffee. Just then I hear him let out three shots. Hmm maybe the deer are headed towards me. Sure enough over the far hill come 4 nice fat does. They start right towards me about 200yrds out. Feeling a little unsure of my shooting after the last few days I figured the closer the better. Just as they got to the bottom of the valley in between the ridges the wind swirled and they caught my sent. They started walking away and I figured it was now or never. The first two jogged though my shooting lane without offering much of a shot but the thid stopped right where I needed her to 120yds out. With my gun resting on the ladder of the stand I pulled the trigger. With a great feeling of relief I watched as she jumped strait up and did the tale tell high leg kick. She never got up after landing.
After so many misses and figuring out my old gun was crap for deer slugs. I was delighted to end the season with my tags filled and a great shot to finish the season.
I feel like an idiot for not practicing more and realizing that my old pump winchester just couldn’t through slugs like it used to. I guess everyone has one of those seasons. This was mine, I hope you all can laugh with me about it and maybe learn a little too. Merry Christmas all.

Thanks Dunn but I’ve got quite a few places to hunt, I just haven’t had the time with working on the flood homes here in town and making firewood for this winter. I just got permission to hunt 40 acres about 40 miles north of Missouri thats been unhunted for quite awhile. I know the area where your talking about and its all good in there. I’ve drivin by there for years going to McBride to fish, this time of year its those little out of the way places that surprise a guy. I’ve got a place right on the edge of town on the north side along the cedar to hunt but a hunt in southern Iowa would be more fun plus a new place to check out. Thanks for the information though, I appreciate it. Now I have to finish a big piece of meatloaf (minus the venison) with banana peppers on a plate from Tuckners recepie, it is a good one.