| Iowa muzzleloader deer hunting is one more option avaible to Mid-America Hunting Association members in addition to the options in Kansas and Iowa. Iowa allows in-line and scopes for muzzleloader deer hunting. Perhaps Iowa's significant contribution to the muzzleloader deer hunter is the late December into January muzzleloader only deer season. This post rut deer season allows deer hunters to extend their field days deer hunting often to the point of gaining that having hunted too much feeling. This is expressed by the few hunters that actually deer hunt this late in the season. By late December most deer hunters have hunted their more favored portion of the rut and simply have moved onto other activities. Many of those that do hunt this season take a more leisurely approach to the daily hunt, hunt fewer days and have settled for trophies of less quality than they did for the earlier archery season. One aspect we all can agree that is good is that this season sees a good number of doe harvests for those seeking to top off the freezer. This post rut season is frequently difficult for many deer hunters accustomed to tree stand hunts. Those that have used stands effectively have found golden nugget spots typically during snow accumulation periods that limit food sources. On most years the winters within the south-central Iowa zones 4 & 5 where we have our deer lease land are mild enough to allow plenty of food over a wide area. This more common winter of dispersed deer movement requires the muzzleloader hunter to walk for his deer. However, once walking for deer, few actually have the patients to walk slowly enough and for all available daylight hours to get close to deer rather than push them to run allowing only tail sightings. One advantage to the late Iowa deer hunter is that bird hunters typically by this time have reported a number of large buck sightings and these sightings are more reliable due to the deer's reduced post rut movement pattern. There are more than a handful of deer hunters that owe their success partially to bird hunters.
When it comes to Iowa late muzzleloader deer hunting all should keep this option in the back of their mind when attempting to manipulate deer tag applications to maximize their deer hunting time.
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