Iowa Second Deer Shotgun Season Opener

Iowa saw another shotgun deer season open on December 13th. My day started off with a short walk at 5:45 A.M. into the North pasture to sit beside a pile of wood to await the legal shooting hours to arrive. The weather wasn't too bad with temperatures in the 30's and low breezes to start with. On my initial trip out, I came across an adult deer by the sound of the snort as it left it's feeding on acorns, before I entered the pasture. Then I woke up a doe with two fawns on the east side of a draw, a path frequented by deer often. The only light at the time was the brilliant moon. The time seemed to pass slowly...I kept writing mentally a research paper for my computer literacy class...then some blogposts. Too bad I didn't have my notebook and a penlight. Hmmm, maybe the pen wouldn't have worked from the cold? It wasn't to long before I heard the crunching of snow behind me. The sound of one deer hopping the fence, coming my direction, then another after a time. I knew that I shouldn't be doing to many fast movements ,even with the light still not bright enough to legally shoot. The first deer, a fawn , came around to the west end of the wood pile and got a visualization of me. Still I didn't move . I could see by the body language, ears pulled back, meaning it wouldn't be long before it would be taking flight. Both deer took off on a different path back to the neighbor's timber they had exited not long before. Sunrise brought sightings of deer everywhere...out of range. My day ended with sitting inside the fallen hickory,in the funnel I have spoken of before.Temperatures had warmed up into the upper 40's melting the snow off somewhat.The deer remained just across the ravine, south of where I was stationed. The wind had been coming out of the south all day. Deciding as the daylight was waning to go back into the house, gunshots moved a couple of groups of deer across the soybean field to the west of my location. The first group consisted of does and fawns. It looked like a doe had been injured, so I began my approach to see if I could take advantage of the situation before the sun totally set for this opening day. As, I walked toward the group they seemed to be curious,they stood for the longest time. Getting closer I alarmed them little by little. The one I thought was injured was the last to take off but she headed over the field, fence, pasture into the cornfield to the north with the rest of her group. So, ended my first day, of the Iowa Second Deer Shotgun season that runs from December 13th - 21st. ;)

Shotgun Deer Season One

Shotgun Deer Season one opened here in Iowa last Saturday, December the 6th. The season runs from December 6th - 10th. As you may have heard from Darrell over at AlphaTrilogy - Iowa experienced some high, cold winds, for those brave enough to head out to try their skill at bringing down a deer or two. Checkout his hunting experiences with friend Dana and Dana's cousins.

This year I didn't have my license on day one. It wasn't until the evening of Sunday, day two, I went out to wait for the deer to come through with the "normal" evening routine. Which didn't turn out to be routine. Nobody showed up on cue. Not even an orphaned fawn or two scratching under the Oak trees for acorns. Of course, earlier in the day, there was a mixed entourage touting their presence in our front yard and just beyond the fence of the North pasture. It wasn't until my mentor/ neighbor went through his field, that there were any signs of the much hunted animal, at a distance to great for my shotgun to do much good. Several bucks and does were headed for the cornfield north of our North pasture. Monday, day three, I spent some time in the funnel area I worked on this fall. Saw a fawn resting...it would get excited and move just a little further away when I would stand up occasionally to assess the situation. As the chill started to set in from inactivity I went on a search. Looking in a tried and true location it brought an adult sighting, but with a loud exiting snort it wasn't going to stay around to become a target. The story goes if you wait long enough the deer will return to the same spot it left. I didn't wait for it to return. Gun activity in the surrounding countryside drove some does to run across open territory into the safety of the tree line seperating our tilled fields. Very majestic leaping as they swiftly ran for what they perceived as the corridor to safety. Merlin, my mentor, has gotten a doe and button buck so far. Last night, day 3, I heard a couple of shots ring out around 5:00 P.M. pretty close to my house. It was Merlin, he was chasing a deer I had moved along from my yard after my return from scooping our drive in the preparation for another round of weather. He said he had a chance at a 10 point buck and let it walk because he thought the venison would be too tough. I encouraged him to get that guy if the opportunity repeated itself. The technique in cooking older animals is low heat for an extended period from the reading I have done. Today, day 4, we have frozen rain built up on the surfaces with snow changing to blowing snow by the end of the day. If I don't get out today or tomorrow, onto season two from December 13th - 21st. I bought two landowner tags to tempt fate... or the weather. ;)