November 3

Iowa pheasant opener recap-Minnesota and Iowa Rut Outlook-Fall Fishing Report

Iowa pheasant opener recap:

North Iowa received two inches of rain the week prior to the weekend pheasant opener.  This made for wet and muddy conditions and tough hunting with lots of crops remaining unharvested due to poor field conditions.  The large, unpicked corn fields create an ideal sanctuary for pheasants to feed and elude hunters.  We did have some success both on private and public land hunting the edges and transitions from grass cover to the crop fields.  Pheasant numbers were very encouraging.  Once the crops are harvested late season hunts show promise.-KK




Hunt #9 October 30

Temp 43F Wind SSE 4 mph Barometric Pressure 30.23 (falling) Moon Waning Crescent

I went back to the Oak Ridge stand in hopes to see some of the same bucks that I saw a week prior and detailed in Hunt #7.  I also wanted to see if the "spooky doe" would come back into the food plot and present me with an opportunity.  Early in the hunt, a group of turkeys fed in the woods immediately behind me.  The initial sound of rustling leaves and sticks breaking made me think that a big buck was working his way towards my stand.  At about 5:30 pm I happened to glance toward the edge of the woods where I expected deer to enter the field.  My eyes were met with a second pair of eyes starring right at me! The "spooky doe" was back and had spotted me in the stand again.  I stood motionless in the stand, hoping she would not ruin my hunt again.  She remained calm, and proceeded on the trail to my food plot.  When she stepped behind a tree, I drew my Mathews bow back and waited for her to present a shot.  At 17 yards I released an arrow tipped with a Rage broadhead which found its mark just behind the front shoulder.  The "spooky doe" was down within sight of the stand. I finished the hunt and saw two more anterless deer and a nice tall 8 point buck a half-hour before end of legal shooting on the opposite side of the overgrown pasture.  A great night on stand and I feel fortunate to harvest a nice mature doe for the freezer.-KK

Minnesota and Iowa Rut Outlook:

The Minnesota firearm season opens this Saturday.  I have purchased a gun tag and will likely hunt the first two days of the season with a gun.  I am vehemently against a gun season during the "seeking" phase of the rut (a topic for another day), but with limited time and an Iowa tag also to pursue I will be joining the orange army.  This Saturday also marks the first day of my annual "Rutcation".  I have tried to take a week of vacation time to hunt the rut since my last year in college.  This is an exciting time to be in the woods and something I look forward to every year.  I will be spending most of my time in Iowa trying to fill my Iowa archery tag.  I just recently received permission to hunt a very nice piece of private land that I had hunted for shed antlers 2 years ago.  I will be hunting this property with zero prior scouting and minimal knowledge of the land layout, so it will be an exciting challenge to put a plan together on a new piece of property.-KK

The rut can be brutal. Local wildlife technician Andy, found this dead buck on public land with his eye gouged out.  A life-ending traumatic injury suffered in a fight for dominance.



Fall Fishing Report:


Fly fishing for trout in Northern Iowa:
The water was high and slightly stained from recent rains.  Fish were not in the usual runs, but holding in slower water against the bank.  Smaller nymphs were totally ineffective so we started using zonkers and wooly buggers with a jerk retrieve that stimulated strikes.
Flies were never struck on a down stream retrieve but when stripped across or up stream.
Landed 15 rainbows in the 11-13" range.-JK