# 2017 Iowa Buck



## rockafed (Feb 23, 2005)

*On Friday, Dec 1 I made the drive to SE Iowa in prep for the Iowa gun deer opener on Saturday, Dec 2. The drive was uneventful and the next morning I was waiting patiently, well before sunrise, in the elevated box blind that I build in February, 2017. The blind was awesome and the deer had adjusted to it and never spooked at the blind. They acted like it was not even there. I saw plenty of deer in the morning including a dozen does and several bucks. In fact, I let a 7 pointer walk by and then I let two 8 pointers walk by. Then a bit later I also let a nice 10 pointer walk by but his horns were a bit thin and I really wanted to shoot a bruiser.

After letting several nice bucks walk by I sat in the blind for 4 hours without seeing any deer and I was starting to wonder about letting that 10 point walk by. However, as sunset approached, I looked far to the northern end of the corn field and I could see a big deer had just come out of the CRP grass and was in the edge of the cut corn field. I grabbed the binos and waited for the deer to pick up his head and when he did I was amazed at the horns on the buck. The deer was 400-500 yards across a field and typically deer will stay at that end of the field till dark. I grabbed the grunt tube and thought well this can't hurt....and I started to blow the thing like a trumpet out of the blind window. Well much to my surprise the buck started to slowly pick his way down the edge of the CRP/Corn field moving towards my blind. I grunted at him every now and then and he would pick up his head and look right at me and keep slowly working my way. Eventually, he got to 80 yards and started staring at the blind and he turned to head back towards the way he came and I let the slug fly from my 20 gauge Savage. The buck ran maybe 150 yards down the cornfield and then just went to a slow walk before finally tipping over. WOW! Best buck of my life.

I finally but a tape on the horns and was amazed at the score. He scored 163.5. The base of the horns had a 6 inch circumference. He had 45 inches in just the mass measurements.

I have also included a picture of the UFC deer fighting ring that had been established right behind my blind. Best part was the farmer used my blind a couple of nights later to fill a couple of doe tags. I filled a doe tag Sunday night and then left Monday for Michigan. It was an unbelievable 2 days of hunting....especially given the fact that I had been able to fill a buck or doe tag here in Michigan despite hunting 11 of the 15 days of our gun season.

I cant wait for a return trip to Iowa....

*


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## Kennybks (Mar 29, 2010)

rockafed said:


> *On Friday, Dec 1 I made the drive to SE Iowa in prep for the Iowa gun deer opener on Saturday, Dec 2. The drive was uneventful and the next morning I was waiting patiently, well before sunrise, in the elevated box blind that I build in February, 2017. The blind was awesome and the deer had adjusted to it and never spooked at the blind. They acted like it was not even there. I saw plenty of deer in the morning including a dozen does and several bucks. In fact, I let a 7 pointer walk by and then I let two 8 pointers walk by. Then a bit later I also let a nice 10 pointer walk by but his horns were a bit thin and I really wanted to shoot a bruiser.
> 
> After letting several nice bucks walk by I sat in the blind for 4 hours without seeing any deer and I was starting to wonder about letting that 10 point walk by. However, as sunset approached, I looked far to the northern end of the corn field and I could see a big deer had just come out of the CRP grass and was in the edge of the cut corn field. I grabbed the binos and waited for the deer to pick up his head and when he did I was amazed at the horns on the buck. The deer was 400-500 yards across a field and typically deer will stay at that end of the field till dark. I grabbed the grunt tube and thought well this can't hurt....and I started to blow the thing like a trumpet out of the blind window. Well much to my surprise the buck started to slowly pick his way down the edge of the CRP/Corn field moving towards my blind. I grunted at him every now and then and he would pick up his head and look right at me and keep slowly working my way. Eventually, he got to 80 yards and started staring at the blind and he turned to head back towards the way he came and I let the slug fly from my 20 gauge Savage. The buck ran maybe 150 yards down the cornfield and then just went to a slow walk before finally tipping over. WOW! Best buck of my life.
> 
> ...


Way cool! Congrats Rockafed!


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## Namrock (Apr 12, 2016)

Congrats on a great buck, man he's
T H I C K


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## pike man (Feb 21, 2006)

Congratulations !


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## RamRodII (Dec 10, 2010)

rockafed said:


> *On Friday, Dec 1 I made the drive to SE Iowa in prep for the Iowa gun deer opener on Saturday, Dec 2. The drive was uneventful and the next morning I was waiting patiently, well before sunrise, in the elevated box blind that I build in February, 2017. The blind was awesome and the deer had adjusted to it and never spooked at the blind. They acted like it was not even there. I saw plenty of deer in the morning including a dozen does and several bucks. In fact, I let a 7 pointer walk by and then I let two 8 pointers walk by. Then a bit later I also let a nice 10 pointer walk by but his horns were a bit thin and I really wanted to shoot a bruiser.
> 
> After letting several nice bucks walk by I sat in the blind for 4 hours without seeing any deer and I was starting to wonder about letting that 10 point walk by. However, as sunset approached, I looked far to the northern end of the corn field and I could see a big deer had just come out of the CRP grass and was in the edge of the cut corn field. I grabbed the binos and waited for the deer to pick up his head and when he did I was amazed at the horns on the buck. The deer was 400-500 yards across a field and typically deer will stay at that end of the field till dark. I grabbed the grunt tube and thought well this can't hurt....and I started to blow the thing like a trumpet out of the blind window. Well much to my surprise the buck started to slowly pick his way down the edge of the CRP/Corn field moving towards my blind. I grunted at him every now and then and he would pick up his head and look right at me and keep slowly working my way. Eventually, he got to 80 yards and started staring at the blind and he turned to head back towards the way he came and I let the slug fly from my 20 gauge Savage. The buck ran maybe 150 yards down the cornfield and then just went to a slow walk before finally tipping over. WOW! Best buck of my life.
> 
> ...


Nice job! I also archery hunt Iowa when we draw a tag every four years. Something to b said about their deer management and wish it didn't take so long to draw. NICE DEER


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## Dish7 (Apr 2, 2017)

You don't look very happy, maybe smile a little LOL. Great buck. That smile is probably stuck on your face.


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## pesspess210 (Jan 18, 2011)

Really good buck. Nice work!!!!!


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## Hunting18 (Jul 16, 2014)

rockafed said:


> *On Friday, Dec 1 I made the drive to SE Iowa in prep for the Iowa gun deer opener on Saturday, Dec 2. The drive was uneventful and the next morning I was waiting patiently, well before sunrise, in the elevated box blind that I build in February, 2017. The blind was awesome and the deer had adjusted to it and never spooked at the blind. They acted like it was not even there. I saw plenty of deer in the morning including a dozen does and several bucks. In fact, I let a 7 pointer walk by and then I let two 8 pointers walk by. Then a bit later I also let a nice 10 pointer walk by but his horns were a bit thin and I really wanted to shoot a bruiser.
> 
> After letting several nice bucks walk by I sat in the blind for 4 hours without seeing any deer and I was starting to wonder about letting that 10 point walk by. However, as sunset approached, I looked far to the northern end of the corn field and I could see a big deer had just come out of the CRP grass and was in the edge of the cut corn field. I grabbed the binos and waited for the deer to pick up his head and when he did I was amazed at the horns on the buck. The deer was 400-500 yards across a field and typically deer will stay at that end of the field till dark. I grabbed the grunt tube and thought well this can't hurt....and I started to blow the thing like a trumpet out of the blind window. Well much to my surprise the buck started to slowly pick his way down the edge of the CRP/Corn field moving towards my blind. I grunted at him every now and then and he would pick up his head and look right at me and keep slowly working my way. Eventually, he got to 80 yards and started staring at the blind and he turned to head back towards the way he came and I let the slug fly from my 20 gauge Savage. The buck ran maybe 150 yards down the cornfield and then just went to a slow walk before finally tipping over. WOW! Best buck of my life.
> 
> ...



Do you draw tags every year?


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## rockafed (Feb 23, 2005)

Hunting18 said:


> Do you draw tags every year?


I typically draw a tag 2 out of 3 years. The Iowa DNR posts drawing stats each year and I think that a person has about a 60% chance of drawing a GUN tag without any preference points. If you don't get drawn, then you get a preference point that pretty much guarantees a draw the following year.


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## old graybeard (Jan 19, 2006)

Very nice buck congrats!


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## WMU05 (Oct 16, 2004)

Heck yes!

Awesome buck!


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## Stubee (May 26, 2010)

Man, that’s a big boy!


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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

Nice buck, congratulations!! Since no one has asked, how did you prep. and transfer the cape, meat, an skull back into Michigan? Did you have the deer checked for CWD?


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