Mike a friend of mine from Micgigan seen his first deer drive two days ago here in Iowa. Mike found out that he could buy an out of state liscense over the counter here after bowhunting here last year and purchased one. We suspect the DNR has alot of non-resident tags because the economys slowed down and theres fewer guys coming here to hunt. Anyway Mike went to the farm where he bowhunted last year and its right next to a big track of public land, the Coralville reservior, 1000’s of acres of good deer habitat.
Mike said light came and he was in a tree stand and didn’t realize the piece he was hunting was right next to this public land. He said he heard some shooting, just a few shots. He said then all hel- broke loose and there were spurts of 2 to 1/2 dozen shots going off, he though hmmm thier seeing deer. Then the shots started getting closer and he started wondering if the tree he was in was a safe place to be. Then the shots were getting even closer and over the hill came about 1/2 dozen guys from just this one party of maybe 50 guys, he said there was orange everywhere.
He said he couldn’t get out of the tree fast enough and down to the ground he went. He said deer were running everywhere and shots were reputive, over and over. The deer were jumping the fence coming at him about 100 yrds but weren’t close enough for a shot. He said he looked to his side and deer were coming from the ground he was on and jumped the fence right infront of the hunters on public land and they opened up dropping all three of them. He said they no more then crossed the fence and down they went.
Mike said hes used to hunting the porcupine national forest in Michigan and said he can walk for miles and never see any human tracks. He then asked if it is like that all the time here on public land and I said yes, every year. He said they have got to shoot them out don’t they, or take so many that theres hardly any deer left. I said no Mike its like this every year and they don’t shoot the deer out, thin them is about all they do. He said MAN a guy could get killed and I said thats why I don’t hunt slug season on public land, theres just too many slugs flying around. He asked and they don’t shoot them out and I said MIke theres so many deer here that they don’t, theres just too many places for them to escape through where guys can’t get a shot, too much underbrush and the smarter ones get up way ahead when they hear the guns going off.
Mikes got a buck tag and was hunting a couple other farms the day here got here. He didn’t see many deer on the first farm because all the corn was picked and very little cover. The second farm there was alot more cover and he was right in the middle of deer walking when I called him later in the day. He said he had too let me go and couldn’t talk because the deer were so close. Mikes a trophy hunter as is holding out for one of atleast 140″. He asked what I would do and I said walk very slowly and only a few steps at a time. Watch the ground so you won’t break any sticks and take all day to hunt 100 acres of timber. Look way out ahead for bedded deer. Watch the weeded fencelines real close because thats where alot of the bigger bucks will lay so they can feel hidden and see all the way around them. Hes got a couple more days to hunt and I hope he gets a shot off at a nice one. Hes convinced he no longer wants to be close to public land during first shotgun season and I told him I don’t eigther. I told him the second season isn’t as bad, theres a whole lot of shooting the first season, for some this isn’t the season to hunt and I’m one of them, now so is Mike.
