AFTER LONG CONSIDERATION WE WILL NOT HAVE ANY HUNTS HAPPENING IN THE 2026 IOWA DEER SEASON UNLESS SOMEONE HAS DRAWN A TAG AND NEEDS A SPOT.

You can come try your luck for a VERY discounted price due to low deer numbers in our area... It is only fair you know what you're in for.

First, the options:

• ZONE 5: 1 x Archery Only Hunt

  • Dates OPEN (Prefer it to be 1st 2 x weeks of Nov)

  • Mostly DIY, Some Semi-Guided Elements

  • Up to 14 Days of Hunting

  • Price Negotiable, Starts at $2,000

• ZONE 6: 1 x Archery Only Hunt

  • Dates OPEN (Prefer it to be 1st 2 x weeks of Nov)

  • Mostly DIY, Some Semi-Guided Elements

  • Up to 14 Days of Hunting

  • Price Negotiable, Starts at $2,000

NO GUN HUNTING THIS YEAR. Sorry!!!

Call/text me directly (info below) if you want to try, need to move on this quick to get ready/prepped.

So what is this all about, why are you continuing to talk low deer numbers?

Well, have you read any of my previous posts about deer numbers? Probably worth the time to do that. It has been a sliding effect. Not sure if we are in the bottom of a pipe or on a mountain side. I just know numbers continued to decrease everywhere I went no matter where it was.

Urbanization? Big Ag? Over-harvesting? EHD/disease? Increased predation? All of the above, I'm sure.

NW Iowa, opposite of us, has finally started working to reduce tags sold and doe harvests there. Sadly, the state doesn't want an abundance of deer, nor big deer! The insurance companies and Big Ag win on that front - the War on Deer!

In some areas, I think we are down between 75 and 90%. In other areas, we are down 25-50%. It is very hard to put a fixed number on it. We use to be able to see X amount of mature bucks on camera each year from June through August, September, October through January, and measure the number of mature bucks we'd see. Of course, there is variance year to year but within reason. Now it is an absolute challenge just to see a single mature buck on a given farm all year. Yes, some spots have a higher density. Some farms have had 2 or 3, maybe 4. Some farms none. That once was 6-10 or more on the high end. Have we gotten that good, as a community, at killing these deer? I don't know. It's a good question to throw into the mix here.

Now, I will say that I have seen some improvements thus far through the off-season on a couple of properties. That is NOT enough evidence to move the needle for me. I like it! It gives me some hope, but I'm rational. It can't rebound that quick. Deer aren't rabbits. This will take multiple years to come back to what we were in the 2000-2010 range (the best).

When I say numbers are down, I'm talking does, fawns, young bucks, mature bucks, old does, super old bucks, everything. DEER. According to the DNR, Iowa deer numbers are down 200,000 over the last 20 years, or so an article title read on FB. Could have been an Ai article for all I know. I believe it though. No, it is not simply an EHD issue. I know better. Sorry, done beating the dead horse about it here.

Regardless, I have no problem taking these archery hunters (1 to 2 in Zone 6, 1 in Zone 5, all for archery) IF they are aware of the risks and still want to risk it since they went into the draw and drew that tag. It would be a severely discounted hunt for obvious reasons. Semi-guided but mostly DIY. Lots of background and onX/GAIA help. Call or text me at 563-320-6875. If it goes to right to voicemail it's because you triggered my spam filter (sorry!)... MDLOutfitters@gmail.com Thanks guys.