| Mid-America Hunting Association Iowa lease land is not limited to turkey hunts. The same Iowa wild turkey hunter may also fall deer, quail and pheasant hunt. This one aspect of multiple use land allows more land each day for every self guided hunter to hunt regardless of his hunt discipline than if all we did was lease deer or turkey land. Add to the land leasing decision the limited nature of Iowa's turkey and deer tags prevents our ever having enough deer or turkey hunters to pay for the Iowa hunting acreage we maintain. The common approach is the turkey hunter mixes in a spring turkey hunt with a deer scouting effort in anticipation of a fall Iowa deer tag. The risk is that Iowa does not release deer tag results until June. The benefit is the chance to be ready when the deer hunter does draw a tag. Iowa Hunter Feedback Hi John, Not having been able to hunt for the previous month…it sure was nice to get up to [location deleted]…despite warm weather and high winds…for 3 days of muzzleloading. Attached is a picture of the rack from the buck I took after only hunting 1 and ½ hours. The picture doesn’t do it justice, but the buck had 14 scorable points and grossed 148 1/8”. I would have never shot this deer had it been for your recommendation of hunting style. I most likely would have holed up in a tree stand for 3 days….rolling the dice, hoping for a nice one to walk by. With the weather and season dates…your recommendation was right on. 
I still-hunted into a very thick area….5 does busted out...I caught movement out of my peripheral vision and noticed a small 8 point had risen from his bed about 60 yards away. As he started to walk off….I caught more movement in the brush beyond him at about ninety yards. It was the big 14 point. I took the shot with my muzzleloader and recovered the buck 60 yards later. After recovering the deer…a buck much larger than the one I had just shot…jumped up across the creek and headed across the CRP. I go to check out several other AWESOME properties (the habitat was just perfect) the next day and filled my antlerless tag on a different section that evening. All in all….6 ½ hours in [location deleted]…I saw 8 bucks and 38 does…all on MAHA property. I included a HUSH (Hunters Supporting the Hungry) hat in the picture, because I think Iowa does a great job with this program…and I was thankful to have been able to donate to them. Thanks again for all of your help this season!!!
Steve |
With our Iowa lease land in close proximity of Missouri and our Missouri turkey leases makes it common for the spring turkey hunter to easily hunt both Iowa and Missouri on the same trip with their overlapping seasons. The few crossover turkey hunters with bird dogs will enjoy our southern Iowa leases for their very good quail populations with a few pheasants mixed in. Iowa Quail While not well known, Iowa upland bird hunting extends beyond the pheasant and includes wild Bobwhite Quail in southern Iowa equal to northern Missouri. Pictures below are the best proof of birds and habitat as shown by a dog on point. 
These pictures came from a dedicated quail hunter that also is known to take a pheasant when his dog points one. 
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Overall, in the case of anyone planning a do it yourself Iowa hunt, the limited lodging availability in this economically depressed region makes that pre departure telephone call to reserve a room an important step. Failing to do so may find that hunter traveling further than desired for a place to stay. Our Iowa waterfowl is limited to mostly field sets at best and we do not maintain any fishing leases in Iowa. Old (seasoned) Hunter We say he's seasoned and he says he is just old. 
Old hunters don't just fade away, they take better pictures. Bob writes: "Had a good Friday afternoon. Got there about 2:30 heard him gobble and at 4:00 after only 3 more gobbles had him in my lap. Heavy 25 pounder with a 10 1/2" beard and 1 1/2" spurs." For the rest of us Bob has been with MAHA for just about as long as anyone has currently or in the past. He has taken a lot of turkey and his pictures grace this website in several places. In years past he would fill all tags and has been a member of the four toms in four days club many times over probably dating back to when turkey tags first became available. Even Bob can't remember when he started hunting. As the years progressed he seems to take a leisurely approach to his turkey hunting and finds taking one tom just as satisfying as when he would be out an hour before light for days on end. These are the things Bob tells us in his brief seasonal conversations where few words are spoke and much meaning is communicated. |
Iowa Deer Hunting Iowa Turkey Hunting Turkey Hunting Statistics Scouting | 
