Shotgun season ended quite warm, but the weather was very enjoyable to sit in. According to the DNR, 70,000 deer were taken during the recent hunting seasons -about 30% below 2006 harvest levels. More on that story here. Game activity for us was best in the morning and our group of hunters ended up filling 6 tags to close the weekend and the season.
While winter officially kicks off today (Dec. 22nd) deer have been settling into the wintertime feeding pattern for the last few weeks. Late Season Muzzleloader is in full swing. In my opinion this season is the second best time to tag a big buck. The first of course is the rut, and the pre-rut early season runs a close third place due to patternability. But during Late Season deer are even more patternable. They group together and feed in good numbers, crowding food sources to restore their weight before the dead of winter.
When the weather turns nearly intolerable, I'll turn to my muzzleloader. Taking advantage of the harsh conditions can really pay off for hunting Iowa game. One of the best strategies I use when planning a day to hunt is to focus on "high pressure" days. These are usually the days with the coldest lows on the 7-day forecast. These days see especially high activity levels when the winds have been strong and then relax. I usually try to hunt the evening before and the morning of the days with the coldest low temperatures.
See if that pays off in your neck of the woods and good luck!
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