IOWA BOWHUNTER FALL 2024/WINTER 2025

SPONSORS

The gear you need from the brands you trust. Home to brands such as Stealth Cam, Walkers, Cold Steel, Muddy, HME, Wild Game, Ameristep, Tenzing, Avain, Big Game, Flextone, NAP, and many more. www.gsmoutdoors.com Ph. 877-269-8490 email info@gsmorg.com

FEATURES

Sponsor Pages

inside cover, 2-4, 7-9, 20 inside back cover

BONKER’S World Bowhunter Page

11-16, 21

17-19 22-24

DNR News

Editor’s Corner

2

Deer Season 2024 For Your Information Youth Bowhunter IBA Related Information IBA Spring Banquet Awards Application

26 27

President’s Message Fall Issue Presidents Message Winter Issue Featured 100% Club

5

28-29 30-36

6 8

IBA Scholarship

10

34

If you are receiving The Iowa Bowhunter and not receiving IBA email updates from your board, please contact Randy Taylor at tayphoto@netins.net. IMPORTANT: UPDATE YOUR EMAIL CONTACT WITH IBA IOWA BOWHUNTER ELECTRONIC DELIVERY We need each one of our members help

As we try to find more efficient ways to deliver value to our members we recently began sending two of the yearly quarterly Iowa Bowhunter magazines by “flip book.” This electronic delivery of the Iowa Bowhunter is experiencing some problems and our board is working to resolve these issues. As always with electronic data, when there is one character incorrect, the whole thing is incorrect. Our first goal is to have current and accurate email and mailing addresses for all our members. Without accurate and current information, neither the electronic version or the paper version will be delivered accurately.

So we need EVERY MEMBER to send their current email address and also their mailing address to Ben Low. Send to Ben by email at blow@fivestarcoop.com or by US mail at 1648 Cordova Avenue, Pella, IA 50219. Make sure all information is accurate. If your email or address ever changes, you MUST send Ben an update. Please confirm this information as soon as possible. Anyone can always find the current newsletter, as well as past editions on our website by going to the home page, then select news, then select newsletter, then find the current pdf or simply click on the flip-book link.

www.iowabowhunters.org

IOWA BOWHUNTERS ASSOCIATION

1

EDITORS CORNER NEWSLETTER April is when the next Iowa Bowhunter newsletter is due for distribution, so please get your articles, pictures, stories, and advertisements to me no later than March 15. Thanks for all the photos already sent in and keep up the good work. There’s always room on the Gut Pile page. Also, if you have a good picture for the front cover, feel free to send that to me and mark it to be used for the front cover. Please include a short caption of information with each picture. Pictures are not returned.

TO ALL AREA REPS (AND ALL MEMBERS) Our membership needs to be more informed on what is happening in all areas of the state of Iowa, as well as surrounding states. As an area rep, it is expected of you to supply information about your particular area to the rest of the membership. This is accomplished though articles in the Bowhunter. Please submit an article for each Bowhunter issue (four total) to the Bowhunter editor. Deadlines are shown in the editors corner of each issue. We’ll look forward to your input. If you have questions about your membership please use this address

Jessica Graham 9502 Tyler Street New Virginia, IA 50210 515-601-0728 jessicagraham1776@gmail.com

Any other questions or problems please contact any board member.

Ben Low, Treasurer 1648 Cordova Ave. Pella, IA 50219 641-780-5068 ben@fivestartcoop.com

SPONSORS

2 IOWA BOWHUNTERS ASSOCIATION

www.iowabowhunters.org

SPONSORS

Nipigon River Bear Hunt

nipigonriverbearhunt.com bbearman@shaw.ca Moose, Bear, and Wolf Hunting ~ Fishing ~ Scenery and Wildlife ~ Photo Opportunities

Bob Bearman ~ 807-887-3801 or 807-887-2813 Box 400 ~ Nipigon, ON, Canada ~ POT 2JO

100 years of Sporting Tradition Since 1901, Boyt has provided rugged and dependable equipment, accessories, and clothing for all hunting and shooting enthusiasts. www.boytharnesscompany.com

www.scheels.com The Midwest’s largest selection of sports, sportswear, and footwear. Set your sights on the BEST GEAR this season. ~ Jordan Creek Town Center, West Des Moines - 515-727-4065 ~ Southern Hills Mall, Sioux City - 712-252-1551 ~ Viking Plaza, Cedar Falls - 319-277-3033 ~ Coral Ridge Mall, Iowa City - 319-625-9959

www.iowabowhunters.org

IOWA BOWHUNTERS ASSOCIATION

3

SPONSORS

BUCK HOLLOW SPORTS Archery Pro Shop ~ www.buckhollowsports.com Large selection of archery supplies, guns, ammo, optics, trail cameras, muzzleloaders, and lots more for all your hunting and sporting needs. Boyd L Mathes ~ 641-628-4586 ~ Archery Field & Sports Outdoor & Sporting Goods Company- Archery Range-Paintball Center Our professional staff has years of archery experience as well as certified training to provide the best learning experience possible. www.archeryfield.com 515-265-6500 3725 NE 56th St, Altoona, Iowa

Hours vary, so please call ahead. 776 190th Ave ~ Pella, IA 50219

Heritage 1865 Outfitters www.heritage1865.com We specialize in upland bird hunts; but also have deer, turkey, and waterfowl hunts available. Travis Ewing ~ 641-344-1120 Russel, IA ~ email-barney@heritage1865.com

4 IOWA BOWHUNTERS ASSOCIATION

www.iowabowhunters.org

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE FALL ISSUE

I’d like to introduce myself - I grew up and worked most of my life in NW Iowa. My Grandpa Gibb fostered in me a love and appreciation of the outdoors. Many enjoyable times fishing and hunting were spent on his family farm. In 1977 I picked up a recurve bow and have been bowhunting ever since. I’ve recently relocated to southern Iowa for better outdoor opportunities and to be closer in distance to my daughter in Coralville. As a lifelong member of the Iowa Bowhunters Association, I felt privileged to serve as a Board member. I’d like to give a big “shout out” to past president Chase and all members of

the Board for their time and dedication in promoting the sport of bowhunting and the IBA. Some activities the IBA supports/ sponsors Include the Fall Festival (outdoor target shoot) a booth at the IA Deer Classic, school archery programs, advocating for policies/laws at the state level to promote land/wildlife conservation, Camp High Hopes (inclusive outdoor activities for all) DNR land purchase for youth outdoor, Ted Nugent Kamp for Kids, Wapello Co. Chief Bowman Kids Camp, Target Trafficking (By Wings of Refuge), programs and the Spring Banquet: seminars, fellowship, meal and items for auction/raffle. The IBA also sponsors a scholarship

essay contest. The recipient is invited and recognized at the Spring Banquet. The IBA continues to promote, protect, and defend the hunting rights of all Iowans through legislative efforts. A goal of the IBA is to have more youth and female representation. Please feel free to contact me with suggestions or if we have inadvertently left out recognizing anyone for past archery awards! I look forward to helping grow the Iowa Bowhunters Association and hoping to visit with you at one of our upcoming events! Have a safe and successful hunt!

www.iowabowhunters.org

IOWA BOWHUNTERS ASSOCIATION

5

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE WINTER ISSUE

As I write this another bow season has ended. I hope everyone has had a safe and great season. As I have visited with people over different areas of the state it seems hunters are not seeing the number of deer we use to see. I think it is a result of several different factors. The loss of habitat, predators, EHD and overharvest are all contributing factors. That is why I would like to take a moment and discuss things that we all can do. First, make all people that have an interest in the outdoors that enjoys nature whether it is wildflowers, songbirds, butterflies, turkeys, deer and other wildlife to know the IBA has a tool to use and it is called Voter Voice. It is simple to use. Go to the IBA website (https://iowabowhunters.org/ advocacy/action-center/) and it is listed. That gets sent to the legislators. You can make your own statements or simply click a message that the IBA has stated.

We have members using it but we really need more people yet to use it. I, personally, would like to get it out to more people over the whole state. They don’t need to be bowhunters that is why I am asking all members to get the word out. The more legislators hear from the public, the better chance we have to kill some of these bad bills. The two that come up every year is the public lands bill and the forest reserve bill. I will touch on both of them. The public lands bill is where they want to end any purchase of land for public use. That is all I have to hunt personally, and anybody that is in the same boat as I am in knows the frustration when there is not enough land. Iowa is near the bottom in public lands. My worries on the forest reserve bill if they do not give incentives on timber, we will lose a lot of our timber when we don’t have that much to begin with. I am originally from NW Iowa and

what I have seen taken out in the last twenty years is unbelievable. Many of you throughout the state have seen the same scenario. There will be other bills, I am sure. Eric (our lobbyist) and some of our board members will be at the Capitol speaking out on bills that are not what we consider good. The session starts around January 10 so keep checking the IBA Website. We need each and every one of you to stop some of these bills it is simple to click voter voice. The next two events we are working on is the Iowa Deer Classic and our IBA spring banquet. We are going to change some things for our banquet spruce it up a little bit. Like in the past every kid goes home with something. For the ladies, there will be some jewelry and gift baskets. So, you guys bring the wives and the kids. For the men, there will be things you can’t go home without. Keep watching our website and Facebook for updates on seminars, silent auction, live auctions and raffle items. So, we hope to see and meet everyone at the spring banquet. Feel free to come up and talk me always like to talk about archery. If you would like to discuss anything or have ideas to grow the IBA we are here to listen. Sincerely,

Loren Wakeman President IBA

6 IOWA BOWHUNTERS ASSOCIATION

www.iowabowhunters.org

SPONSORS

(Our sponsors support and believe in the IBA, please support our sponsors)

DIAMOND ($10,000 and up) GSM Outdoors PLATINUM ($5,000 - $9,999)

Infinito Safaris

Matlabas Game Hunters

GOLD ($1,000 - $4,999)

Archery Field & Sports Boyt Harness Company Buck Hollow Sports DK Custom Taxidermy Heritage 1865 Outfitters

Mankazana Safaris Raymond Bowhunters Riverside Casino & Golf Resort Ted Nugent Kamp for Kids Thaddeus Lake Lodge

SILVER ($500 - $999)

C&D Outfitters David Bennett HyVee Distribution Mike Robertson

Racks and Tracks Taxidermy Rockytop Ranch Scheels Tim Quinn

BRONZE (up to $499)

Bluff Creek Archery Clayton County Archers Dakota Ranch Outfitters Dan Krettek Denny Bradley Eyad Yehyawi Fin and Feather Ike Lind Jerry Dowell Jill German Creations JP Plumbing Mid Iowa Archers

Pj1Custom Woodworking Palo Outdoors Pine Lake Archers Pottawattamie Bowhunters Raw Metal Works Roger Bowen Scott Rolffs South Central Bowhunters of Iowa Stellar Sparks Candle Company Tammy’s Handbags and Apparel Taylor Photography Wapello Chiefs

www.iowabowhunters.org

IOWA BOWHUNTERS ASSOCIATION

7

FEATURED 100% CLUB 100% CLUBS • IBA treasurer will make sure all dues are accurate, any overpayment will be returned if necessary. • The IBA needs to grow their membership and hopefully this will encourage other non-100% clubs to become one. • Along with reduced membership rates, some other perks the 100% clubs enjoy are - individual newsletter section, 1/2 page ad in the newsletter for your shoot schedule, full page article describing your club (first come first served). Your IBA Board of Directors

To all 100% clubs During the IBA March board meeting at the Spring Banquet it was discussed how to make things more affordable for our clubs where every single member of the club is an IBA member. With continued discussion at the June board meeting, the board thought this was an excellent idea and would be implemented soon. Here’s how it works. • Beginning January 1, 2023, dues will drop to $15 per member for all 100% club members (2 or 3 year discount does not apply). • Current membership dues of $25 remain for all other IBA members with the existing options of 2 or 3 year discounts.

Clayton County Archers Elkader, Iowa Hickory Ridge Bowhunters Pella, Iowa Pottawattamie Bowhunters Council Bluffs, Iowa Blackhawk Archers Waterloo, Iowa Raymond Bowhunters Raymond, Iowa Pine Lake Archers Eldora, Iowa Wapello Chief Bowmen Ottumwa, Iowa

Atlantic Archers Atlantic, Iowa Mid-Iowa Archers Indianola, Iowa South Central Bowhunters Chariton, Iowa Echo Valley Archers West Union, IA Riceville Archery Club Riceville, IA

Your IBA board has been contemplating what else we can do for the 100% clubs. Along with reduced member rates, member coupons, IBA Shootout participant, Iowa Games host, and individual newsletter section, we have decided to also include at no cost a shoot schedule for your club (no larger than one half page). Just get your schedule to the editor by the newsletter deadline and it will be included in the next issue of the Iowa Bowhunter.

Outdoors with Outdoors Dan Show 7 - 9 AM: Saturdays on 1350 ESPN Des Moines, Iowa www.outdoorsdan.com For Podcasts or to listen online just click to https://espndesmoines.com/outdoors-with-outdoors-dan/

8 IOWA BOWHUNTERS ASSOCIATION

www.iowabowhunters.org

SPONSORS

Infinito Safaris and Double Lung Archery, Inc. www.doublelungarcheryinc.com

Join the “Hunt With Double Lung” group every June, or book you own hunt dates. Dave and Charl at Infinito Safaris make your dream hunt happen. LaPorte City, IA 319-342-4550 dave.stueve@gmail.com

MATLABAS GAME HUNTERS

www.matlabas.co.za Matlabas Game Hunters is committed to conservation and our strict management policies keep game populations at healthy numbers. We cater to all bow hunters, whether you shoot traditional, compound, or crossbow. Your adventure will not just simply be a visit to Africa, but Africa will become a part of you forever! Ph - (27) 878080861 or (27) 829000227 (27) 829000227 email - info@matlabas.co.za

www.iowabowhunters.org

IOWA BOWHUNTERS ASSOCIATION

9

IBA SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT: KYLA MASON FALL ISSUE

Archery has always been an important part of my life. A big reason for this is my grandfather, David Mason, who was a longtime IBA member. Simply put, archery was his passion. He loved everything about archery, from hunting to teaching others about the sport. Archery was a passion that we bonded over. Throughout my childhood, we could go to shoots together and I would go hunting with him and my dad. Around my thirteenth birthday, he had me shooting his bow at the shoot. He wanted me to try it because it was the poundage that I would need if I were to begin bowhunting. When I shot his bow, I mad a perfect shot! Once we got back t o his care, he told me the bow was mine now, and that I could keep it. That was so meaningful and I was excited because it meant that I would finally be able to bowhunt with him. The next fall, I went bowhunting with him for the first time, and we hunted together wherever possible. I didn’t get a deer that season, but I didn’t care. IT was wonderful just to spend time with him and hear his stories, and I was excited to continue hunting with him the next year. I will never truly understand why it happened, but he passed away unexpectedly at the beginning of the next bow season. I was devastated. Not only did I lose a friend, but I realized that I would never get to see the smile on

his face whenever I got my first deer. It was very had to go hunting the rest of the season, but I knew he would want me to. I didn’t shoot a deer that year either. I ended up getting my first deer almost exactly a year after he had passed away. The moment was really special

because I had been looking forward to it for years. Although I was happy and excited, it was also bittersweet because my grandfather wasn’t there to experience the moment. I thought bout him a lot that day. I believe he was with me in spirit a d looking down with a huge smile. My grandfather taught me many lessons through archery and bowhunting throughout the years such as the gift of patience. Many times, I have seen deer, but they haven’t been in range or other circumstances didn’t lead to a shot. I have

learned that everything takes time and that I need to not rush tings and wait. Another thing that he taught me through bowhunting was that hunting isn’t only about getting the deer. Through bowhunting I’ve been able to learn the joy and tranquility of just sitting in the treestand. I no longer base the success of the hunt on whether or not I got a deer, but rather if I enjoyed the peacefulness of being in the woods and having the opportunity to truly enjoy nature.

10 IOWA BOWHUNTERS ASSOCIATION

www.iowabowhunters.org

Deadlines amuse me. Show me a deadline you think I can’t ignore and I’ll show you how wrong you are. However, there is a huge difference between ignore and forget. I’m not 100% sure, but I think I missed a deadline for a recent Bowhunter by forgetting, not ignoring. If you recall my last Bonkers’ World covered a lot of ground but it ended with me sharing plans for a trip to Mesa, Arizona for my wife and I to attend some Cubs spring training games. To say the trip started off on the wrong foot would be an understatement. We had very little snow or cold weather all winter but for some reason mother nature elected to dump several inches of snow on eastern Iowa the morning we were to fly out. March snow storms aren’t that unusual but as fast as the storm hit and with the amount of snow that fell it was a white knuckle drive to the airport. I was kind enough to drop the wife off at the terminal and I was left to find a parking spot on the back forty lot. I’d like to say I found an actual parking spot but what I found was a relatively straight line of parked cars but the lines that define what a parking spot is were under several inches of snow. I parked and I hoped when we got back my truck would be somewhere close to properly parked. Before we left for the airport I had a choice to make, should I dress for Mesa’s weather or the weather we were experiencing? One look out the window answered that question for me. The trudge from the probably improperly parked truck that was soon to get a ticket convinced me I had made the correct choice. Tee shirt, shorts and sandals would have been a very bad choice. Not that I make good choices very often, but this was one of those times. The plane and flight were actually on time. Even though I had my do everything in my hand, I no longer call it a cell phone because these things do everything now including scratching my back if I hold it just right. Well, I tried to drive a nail with my cell phone once, even though it was a bag phone it still failed to drive the nail. Anyway, I had BONKER’S WORLD FALL ISSUE

my do everything in my hand the whole flight so I could capture a video of anyone who acted out so I too could be one of those people who take videos instead of trying to intervene and improve a situation. The flight was absolutely uneventful. Our luggage made it to the carousel intact and unopened by the TSA, well the donut I had in my suitcase was still there so I assume it passed inspection and didn’t require a search. We took a taxi to the motel and for once we had a calm and relaxing ride through traffic. We checked in, unpacked and took a walk around the area. Sloan Park, I think I just heard angels sing, is everything we had expected. Just walking around the complex you could tell it was going to be as nice inside the park as the grounds around it. What is the goal of every Cubs fan? To fly the “W” in the stands after a win. Toward that end we purchased an MLB certified W flag. Those three little letters (MLB) should stand for Money Left Behind. Why? Because of the three games we attended they went O-3. So now we a have an unused W flag. Even though the baseball was bad, the park was very nice. Lots of friendly people, even those wearing Cardinals and Brewers gear were OK once I had enough tolerance juice on board. One very special thing happened while we were in Mesa. I learned how to use Uber. Hey, don’t laugh. As a technology challenged almost septuagenarian I was quite proud of that accomplishment. Oh, and the tickets for everything on my do everything device. That took a lot of trust and caused a lot of consternation on my part but it all worked. We did have one Uber ride that was a bit shaky. The vehicle was a nice looking Suburban but it sounded and felt like the transmission was about to fall out and the driver might have been from a different planet. The sedate and safe taxi we had from the airport made this ride feel like it should have been a combination of a carnival ride and a freak show. It worked though so no harm no foul.

www.iowabowhunters.org

IOWA BOWHUNTERS ASSOCIATION

11

BONKER’S WORLD (CONT.) FALL ISSUE

The trip home was as uneventful as the trip down. My truck was ticket free even though I wasn’t close to any of the lines that define a parking spot. If we go again it will be earlier in spring training so my expectations for a win aren’t as high and my disappointment won’t be as bad. Turkey season was a week or so after we got back. As I was packing up my gear the wife spotted me packing the unused W flag. “Snookums, why are you packing the W flag?” “Reasons.” Was my only reply. “Well Snookums, I’m not sure what your reasons are, but I sure won’t have to worry about you getting blood on the flag because knowing you you’ll sleep till noon every day and not get a shot.” Now that hurt, it was more than likely true, but it still hurt. She did add “Snookums” though just to try and soften the blow a little. I have heard that there are seven cardinal sins, one of which I believe is Sloth. I’m not sure what the official interpretation of Sloth is but mine would be something like “Enjoys comfort over hard work.” It is no wonder why my personal guide, who is more of a four cardinal virtues and three theological virtues type of guy gets a little grumpy when I sleep ‘til 0830 and don’t get to my blind until well past 0900 when he is out of the cabin well before sunrise. He would be the antithesis of my definition of Sloth.

True to form, opening day of second season my personal guide and my personal guide in training were out of the cabin by 0500. I just seem to have this innate ability to sleep through all of their preparations. I finally got up around 0830, made it out to my blind around 0915, got the decoys set up and settled in for a modestly comfy wait. As usual I had put on way too many layers. By around 0945 I was too hot so I stood up, slid off on my suspenders and took off my hoodie, then took off my undershirt. I put my hoodie back on and slid the suspenders back up. Something didn’t feel right. Duohhh, I meant to wear the undershirt not my hoodie, so I needed to slide the suspenders back down, take off the hoodie, put the undershirt back on and slide the suspenders back up. Whew, I finally got it right and I sat back down to resume my position in the modestly comfy chair. After I got situated in my chair I peeked out of the blind. After all the commotion of taking off and putting on clothes there was a big tom checking out my ready hen and jake decoys. I grabbed my gun, stuck it out of the blind, watched the tom spin just a bit and I pulled the trigger. It was a few minutes after 1000, the tom was dead and I was done for the season. Less than 45 minutes into it. Like I said, it’s no wonder my personal guide gets a little grumpy when Sloth is rewarded.

It was time to take hero pictures. My personal guide was still suffering his penance somewhere uncomfy, hmmmmm, now I wonder if perhaps I am my personal guide’s penance? An interesting thought….. Anyway, it was time to get the photos for proof of my hunting prowess. I got my bird positioned in the correct spot and hung my W flag behind it being ever so careful not to get turkey blood on it, all though it would be a great addition to the flag but not so good for my marital relationship. I took some photos with my do everything and of course I had to send one to everybody including my lovely wife. I was sure to tell her the flag had remained clean. Hunters in Clayton County killed more deer and more turkeys this past year than any other county, so it is no wonder that the five of us that hunted second season killed birds this year including one father/son double. I had to text my personal guide in training to ask who shot what this year and he felt the need to subtly (his idea of “subtle” is akin to a blow to the head with an axe handle) remind me that I blew a chunk of tail feathers off my bird. I’m still not sure how it happened but from a side shot at the birds head to a big hole in the fan in

the same shot, weird. I have also come to the

conclusion that people who play euchre aren’t smart enough to play with a full deck of cards, or

12 IOWA BOWHUNTERS ASSOCIATION

www.iowabowhunters.org

maybe they are only playing with half a deck to begin with? Next up is a trip way up north in two weeks. My personal guide and the other four will be paying their penance once again. My personal guide assures me Fearless v2.0 will be ready for the trip, but my question is will the Minnesota drivers be ready for me? BONKER’S WORLD (CONT.) FALL ISSUE

www.iowabowhunters.org

IOWA BOWHUNTERS ASSOCIATION

13

BONKER’S WORLD WINTER ISSUE

Deer camp 2024 is a vague memory, my five pound weight gain from Thanksgiving is still firmly attached to my waist and the first gun season is in full swing. I should be sorting through my tote of orange stuff in preparation for my foray into the second gun season, but Mother Nature has already given me my one and only opportunity at a dandy buck for the year, so why even try? That one opportunity can be a failure that results from a lot of reasons, but it boils down to either hunter error or the serendipity of nature itself. Each of this year’s deer camp attendees were given that one opportunity but none of us connected. For three of us it was serendipity, or the good luck of the buck, that intervened and kept the buck running free and making fawns. For one of us it was hunter error of stupendous proportions. Two of the events happened from the same tree stand. The first incident happened to My Personal Guide’s Assistant. He was sitting in what they like to call “the big oak” stand. It is indeed in a huge old oak tree and I believe My Personal Guide planted the acorn just after the dinosaurs died. The tree sits in a brushy fence line on a ridge and as such has a commanding view of the area. The Assistant spotted two shooter bucks about 200 yards in front of him coming out of

some thick cedar trees. They eventually made their way to the fence, one behind the other they stopped at 20 yards. The Assistant chose the biggest of the two. The Assistant started to draw his bow and almost hit himself in the nose as the bow string came off the cam. It seems he had gotten a twig stuck between the string and the cam contributing to nature’s serendipitous event. A quick trip to the local bow shop and he was back in the big oak in time for prime time but the Assistant didn’t see anything bigger than a forky for the rest of camp. The second event occurred a couple of days later. My Personal Guide’s Apprentice was sitting in the big oak when he spotted a large buck about 200 yards behind him in a bean field. He rattled at the buck a couple of times but the rattling was ignored and the buck eventually moved into a wooded draw. A little while later a doe jumped the fence from behind the oak tree waking the Apprentice from a tree stand nap. After she cleared the fence she ran like she was being chased by all the hounds of hell. He grabbed his bow and stood up, because a doe running like that can only mean one thing; a buck was chasing her. About 30 seconds later the buck he had seen in the bean field was trotting along the same path the doe had taken.

When the buck got to the fence the Apprentice drew, the buck jumped the fence and when the buck got into the shooting lane the Apprentice grunted, but the buck didn’t stop, when the buck got into the second shooting lane the Apprentice shouted, but the buck still didn’t stop. There wasn’t a third shooting lane, only low hanging branches and by the time the buck cleared all of the branches there was just wide open spaces that were out of range. The buck stopped when he got to the wide open spaces and stood there so the Apprentice could admire his enormous rack and then meandered his way to the opposite end of the field giving the Apprentice plenty of time to admire the beautiful rack, and to replay the lost opportunity over and over and over. The Apprentice didn’t see any bucks after that close encounter. Once again nature’s penchant for serendipity foiled another hunt. The third event happened to My Personal Guide. He was set up on the same field where the other two events occurred, but at the opposite end from the big oak. The stand the Guide was in is called “be sure and pay your life insurance premiums.” The Guide watched several deer, does and small bucks, grazing under the oak tree, and as you may recall the old oak tree is about 200 yards away. He was enjoying the show the

14 IOWA BOWHUNTERS ASSOCIATION

www.iowabowhunters.org

BONKER’S WORLD (CONT.) WINTER ISSUE

small bucks were giving him, they were posturing, sparing and pushing each other around. Eventually a giant buck came into the field. Mr. Big split his time between grazing and watching the does. At one point in time Mr. Big got tired of the little guys pushing and shoving each other, so kind of like an adult telling some unruly children to settle down, he merely walked in their direction. Mr. Big’s approach was all it took for the youngster’s behavior to change. Relative quiet was restored; all of the deer went back to grazing. But as it is with children, the smaller bucks once again started roughhousing. Mr. Big did not appreciate their rowdiness. This time he meant business and chased one of the little bucks in the Guide’s direction. The little buck wasn’t moving fast enough so Mr. Big picked up the pace, the little buck moved faster, but the pace was still too slow for Mr. Big so he moved even faster followed by a reciprocal move by the little buck. They were closing the 200 yard gap quickly, the Guide couldn’t believe his luck, pipsqueak was bringing Mr. Big right to him, that is until pipsqueak made it into the cedar trees and of course that is when Mr. Big stopped 25 yards away behind the only tree there was between him and the Guide. The stand off lasted for what I am sure seemed like a life time,

the buck and the rack attached to it would be the biggest the guide had ever taken with either gun or bow. The stalemate ended when Mr. Big spun around and trotted back to the other deer never giving the Guide an ethical shot. And again the Guide watched for a very long time replaying the scene over and over and over. That was the last buck my personal guide has seen to date. If you haven’t figured it out yet, that one opportunity that was lost due to hunter error was made by me. I’ll be experiencing unpleasant flash backs while I tell this story. It was the first day of deer camp, the sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky, temps were in the high 40’s the winds were light and variable. The stand I chose was in the bottom of a small bowl relatively close to the cabin. This stand is called by various names but I prefer “The very tall ladder stand in the small bowl that is chained to a four by four that spans a wide yoke in a tree that is pretty close to the cabin”. You may think I chose this stand because I knew the temps were going to be cooling off so the air, and therefore my stench, would be sinking along with it. Silly goose, I chose it because it was close to the cabin. The walk to the stand is down the hill, which of course means the opposite is true; the walk back to the cabin is up the mountain. I climbed into the stand about

four hours before sunset. I made the stand as comfy as I could, which wasn’t hard. All it needed was my Fatboy butt pad in its appropriate spot and my back pack situated so the pocket that held the salted nut rolls was next to me. I was a solid 7.639 on the Bonker Comfy Scale, and I was ready. I got out my range finder to see if anything had moved in the past couple of years since I had been in this stand. I was facing west, I remembered there was a major trail above and to the north east of me that started out at about 60 yards away and the closest part of that trail was about 35 yards straight north. From that point the deer could either stay on that trail or come down one of the several minor tails that lead down into the bowl and through several possible shooting lanes. I ranged some likely spots in those lanes and settled in. I’m going to give you some back ground here, when I sit in a blind while turkey hunting I wear a black head cover over my hat, and over the opening for my eyes I wear a mesh mask. The mask makes a nice tent where it hangs over the bill of my hat. I figure the combination will stop any potential turkey spooking glare from my glasses and hide my eye movements. I can’t say that this practice has definitively helped me kill turkeys but in my mind it hasn’t hurt. With that thought in mind I put on my hat, my head cover and the mesh mask. camo head

www.iowabowhunters.org

IOWA BOWHUNTERS ASSOCIATION

15

BONKER’S WORLD (CONT.) WINTER ISSUE

cover. Sure my visual acuity is affected but I can still see good enough. Time passes, it passes very slowly because there is zero cell service down in the bowl. How am I supposed to know how cold I am if I can’t get my weather app to work? So I spend my time watching the (insert your favorite expletive here) squirrels running around like crazy. Every year I say there is more squirrels this year than last. Time passes. I pull out some milkweed fluff to see if the air is moving. The fluff stays suspended and eventually drifts to the ground. Time passes, I ate a salted nut roll, actually I had two because they were small. Time passes, the squirrels must be taking a nap because all is quiet. I wonder if the squirrels are quiet because they could smell my salted nut rolls and they were formulating a plan to get them from me. I don’t dare take a nap lest the squirrels mount their attack. Time passes, The sun sinks lower, shadows grow longer. Then it happens, I hear a faint grunt, it is coming from my right toward the top of the bowl, probably from that trail to the north east. Another grunt, this time closer. I’m looking up at the trail. My mask my be cutting down on my ability to see clearly but I’m sure if a deer comes down that trail I’ll see it just fine.

I was getting a crick in my neck from trying to see in back and above me so I went back to looking at the ground. I did have to lower the bill of my hat because the sun was low enough it was in my eyes. The next grunt was much closer so I looked up at the trail and even through the mesh I could see he was big. How big? All I could make out was tall tines and a big body. All he had to do was come a few more yards then turn onto one of the trails that came down hill. I started to get excited. He made it to the first trail and passed it up, at the second trail serendipity told him to come down the trail. I could see him a little better, he was huge. It has been a very long time since I’ve had the buck fever but this was the biggest buck I had ever seen from a tree stand and I was going to have a chance at him. The fever started to creep in. He kept moving down the trail to my 30 yard mark, I brought my crossbow up thinking he would keep going to my 20 yard mark. The bill of my hat that I had pulled down to block the sun hit my scope. I couldn’t get the eye relief right so all I was able to see was a small dot of light surrounded by black. As quietly and gently as I could I moved my hat. I looked through my scope and I still couldn’t see a thing. Between the mesh, glare from the sun and the fever, I was

blind. Now I was in panic mode, he was nearly at my 20 yard tree. I tried to get the mesh mask off but what little dexterity I had was long gone and I couldn’t get the mesh over the bill of my hat. He stopped right in the middle of my 20 yard lane but I still couldn’t see. I finally managed to rip off the mesh mask. My heart was pounding, I was panting like a dog in august and I raised my crossbow just as he moved out of my 20 yard spot and behind just enough of a brush pile to make the shot too iffy. He stood behind that brush pile forever, my heart was still pounding, but my breathing had gotten a little better. I tried to range him but I was still shaking and the sun was still a factor so I think he was still at 20ish yards. After standing there for so long the sun was no longer a factor but my heart rate and breathing were still elevated. Then he slowly started to turn back the way he had come. He only turned back far enough to be facing straight away from me but he was still looking back up the trail he had come down. He took a little more of a turn back toward his trail and took a step in that direction. What little self composure I had managed to regained was now lost. But instead of going back up the trail he moved straight away from me, from 20 yards to over 40 he never presented a shot opportunity, only his backside.

16 IOWA BOWHUNTERS ASSOCIATION

www.iowabowhunters.org

www.iowabowhunters.org

IOWA BOWHUNTERS ASSOCIATION

17

18 IOWA BOWHUNTERS ASSOCIATION

www.iowabowhunters.org

19

www.iowabowhunters.org

IOWA BOWHUNTERS ASSOCIATION

ARCHERY TOURNAMENT March 7 - 9 , 202 5 Iowa Events Center, Des Moines

Line Reservations: info@iowashows.com or 319-232-0218 LINES FILL FAST!

Tournament Details • Vegas Style 300 Round Format • Adults 20 yards/Cubs 10 yards • Proceeds b • 30 arrows (10 ends of 3) • Governed by NFAA Regulations Amateur Division (Trophies for 1st, 2nd and 3rd)

• Adult Female Bowhunter • Young Adult Male (age 15-17) Freestyle • Young Adult Female (age 15-17) Freestyle • Youth Male (age 12-14) Freestyle/Bowhunter • Youth Female (age 12-14) Freestyle/Bowhunter • Cub Male (age 8-11) Freestyle/Bowhunter • Cub Female (age 8-11) Freestyle/Bowhunter • Senior Male (age 60+) Freestyle • Senior Female (age 55+) Freestyle Professional Division (All cash awards/80% payback)

Tournament Line Times FRIDAY • 4 :00 pm • 6 :00 pm SATURDAY • 10:00 am • Noon • 2:00 pm • 4:00 pm SUNDAY • 10:45 am • 12:45 pm AWARDS CEREMONY 3:00 pm

• Adult Male Freestyle • Adult Male Bowhunter • Adult Female Freestyle

$10 Adults (amateur) | $5 Cubs (amateurs age 8-11) | $50 Pros (80% payback)

The Greatest Whitetail Show on Earth!

Win a HOYT Bow!

great giveaways!

IowaDeerClassic.com

20 IOWA BOWHUNTERS ASSOCIATION

www.iowabowhunters.org

BONKER’S WORLD (CONT.) WINTER ISSUE

It took awhile to calm down. Even though I had a long time to look at him, and I could see him clearly after I got that mesh off, to this day I couldn’t describe him as anything but BIG. I have no idea how many points he had or how tall they were or even how wide or how much mass. Perhaps nature is protecting me from feeling even dumber than I already am. It’s one thing to miss an opportunity based on serendipity, but quite another to totally blow an opportunity due to committing an egregious error. As usual, I’ll add this lesson to my book of errors I have learned from, but man, that book is getting mighty thick. I have not seen another buck since, and I probably won’t during gun season either, but

the deer camp gods did smile on me because the Assistant and I actually won a couple games of euchre. Epilogue I’m sitting here pouting. It is the second day of second gun and I haven’t gone out yet. Southeast Iowa had an ice storm of epic proportions making side roads skating rinks and turning tree stands into giant icicles. My truck has enough dents in it already and I don’t want to break a hip trying to climb into a stand. Discretion being the better part of valor, I am firmly planted in my comfy chair. I’m also pouting because I received a text a few minutes ago that had a picture with it. Seems the Apprentice has proven my “you only get one chance a year” theory, my

narcissism prevents me from typing the word I should so I’ll just say he proved my theory not quite right. The picture was of the Apprentice with a bruiser of a buck. So he did get another chance, and he took proper advantage of that chance. The other thing is I’m pretty sure it’s the buck that I blew my chance on. I couldn’t see well at the time, but he had an odd looking antler on his left side. The space between what looked like a G2 was way too far from his forehead. The photograph shows a broken G2 which made me think his G3 was his G2. So hopefully that deer will quit haunting my dreams, and I’ll learn to live with being not quite right. About my theory.

www.iowabowhunters.org

IOWA BOWHUNTERS ASSOCIATION

21

DNR NEWS FALL ISSUE By Catherine Cummings

How Iowa Bowhunters Can Help Monitor CWD Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal disease affecting cervids including white-tailed deer, moose, elk, mule deer, and caribou. In Iowa, CWD was first detected in a wild white-tailed deer in Allamakee County in 2013, and has since spread to 23 counties (please see our Interactive CWD Dashboard for updated information: https://www. iowadnr.gov/idnr/Hunting/Deer-Hunting/Deer Health/Chronic-Wasting-Disease/Surveillance Results). The disease is caused by the misfolding of naturally occurring proteins, called prions. As the disease progresses, these misfolded prion proteins accumulate in all tissues in the body, including muscle, but become highly concentrated in the brain, spinal cord, and lymph nodes. Prion aggregates ultimately impair the neurologic function of infected animals, leading to rapid decline after a long asymptomatic phase. Understanding CWD Transmission and Signs One of the challenges in managing CWD is its long incubation period, which can range from 18–36 months, during which infected deer appear perfectly healthy. Despite a normal appearance, infected deer can still spread the disease to other cervids through bodily fluids like saliva, urine, and feces. Once clinical signs do appear, they often include excessive salivation, behavioral changes, decreased social awareness, and emaciation. It is important to note that these signs of CWD are similar to other diseases, so the only way to confirm a deer has CWD is through diagnostic testing. management strategy that supports quality deer populations for hunting while minimizing negative impacts such as property/crop damage and disease. Since overabundant deer populations likely increase the rate of CWD transmission, keeping deer density at a healthy level is important. This means that in some CWD-positive counties, increasing doe harvest is the responsible How does Iowa DNR manage CWD? The Iowa DNR is committed to a deer

action – but not always. Many Iowa counties are currently on the low end of their deer management objective, in which case encouraging more doe harvest may not be necessary. The DNR does not employ sharpshooters to manage our county deer populations, but instead relies solely on hunters. The Importance of Hunters in CWD Monitoring The Iowa DNR has been conducting CWD surveillance since 2002, relying heavily on voluntary sample submissions from hunters. This effort helps track the disease’s spread and apparent prevalence, which informs management strategies aimed at reducing transmission, and helps inform the public on CWD risks in their area. Hunters play an essential role in this statewide effort by submitting tissue samples from harvested deer. Why Testing Matters CWD testing helps the Iowa DNR understand the distribution and apparent prevalence of the disease. Additionally, it helps hunters make informed decisions about consuming venison. Although current evidence supports the presence of a strong species barrier mitigating the risk of CWD transmitting to humans, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises to test deer harvested in areas where the disease has been detected and for individuals to not consume meat from CWD-positive animals. How to Submit Samples for CWD Testing: There are two ways for hunters to submit tissue samples: 1. D NR Surveillance Program: Contact your local DNR wildlife staff to have a sample taken. Additionally, there are freezers in central and northeast Iowa where hunters can drop deer heads off at any time for sample submission. Be sure to leave at least 2 inches of neck tissue below the jaw to ensure that the lymph nodes are present for sampling. This method is free for hunters who participate until the quota in the county or Deer Management Zone is reached. You

22 IOWA BOWHUNTERS ASSOCIATION

www.iowabowhunters.org

DNR NEWS (CONT.) FALL ISSUE can monitor progress towards surveillance quotas in the county on our Interactive CWD Dashboard. 2. H unter Submission Pathway: For those seeking expedited results (i.e., results with a faster turnaround time than the DNR surveillance program) or for deer that are not eligible for the DNR Surveillance Program (fawns), hunters can pay a $25 fee to have samples tested through the Iowa State

University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. DNR wildlife staff can pull samples for hunters participating in the Hunter Submission Pathway. I wish you all a successful and enjoyable deer season. If there are any questions about CWD or other deer-related diseases, please feel free to contact me at catherine.cummings@dnr.iowa.gov or at 319-480-7829.

www.iowabowhunters.org

IOWA BOWHUNTERS ASSOCIATION

23

DNR NEWS WINTER ISSUE By Jim Coffey- Forest Wildlife Biologist Crystal ball, Magic eight ball, educated guess or scientific surveys what does it take to manage an Iowa deer herd? This article and 10 volumes of books would not be enough to delve into the intricacies of deer biology on an Iowa landscape. We all have heard the saying opinions are like #*(@*$, everyone has one. Well when it comes to deer opinions it is often sometimes more than one depending upon the day. This brings me back to a wonderful book written by Larry Stone many years ago. “White-tailed Deer, Treasure, Trophy or Trouble?”. I always felt this was a superb title for a book about deer. In any given instance the same exact deer could fulfil all three of these virtues. For some people a deer may only fill one of these positions. It always depends upon your perspective. If you are interested in white-tailed deer in Iowa, I highly recommend you pick this book up for a nice winter read. Not only does it cover the history of deer in Iowa it gives you some perspectives you may not have considered. Sometimes the best way to make good decisions is to walk in someone else’s shoes for a few steps. As we begin the annual discussion about deer populations, we are just now ending our current season. Information is coming in from around the state and lots of opinions are starting to form. I’ll preface my comments with this statement. The Iowa DNR will try and manage the Iowa deer herd for all of the people of Iowa. We try and provide maximum opportunities while maintaining a safe hunting environment that ends with sustainable populations. That being said, it is up to local people to be ethical, harvest what deer they feel is appropriate and to express their opinions. One way we allow Iowan’s to express their opinions is through our DNR listening sessions. The wildlife bureau hosts annual meetings each year that allows people to express their thoughts about all wildlife in Iowa. These meetings are one of the ways biologist can better understand what people are seeing or are concerned about when it come to the animals they deal with every day. Please check out the Iowa DNR webpage for a scheduled meeting in your area. If you are unable to attend you may always submit your comments to the Iowa DNR through our webpage. Managing the deer resource is a tremendous responsibility. Tides ebb and flow, but our mission is

clear, that Iowa will have a sustainable resource of deer for future generations. A couple of other things I want to touch on in this article. For those of you that have not heard the news the Iowa DNR has moved out of our old office space at the Wallace building next to the capital and is now located at 6200 Park Avenue in Des Moines. We occupy the second floor of this building and are adjusting to the new environment pretty well. If you are attending a meeting with the DNR or just stopping for a license please note this address change. I also want to make sure people are aware of the CWD and EHD dashboards that can now be located on the DNR webpage under deer health. We still hear lots of misinformation about what is happening with CWD and EHD across the state so this should be your first reference when looking for the most up to date information. As far as CWD is concerned, at the time of this writing we have sampled over 5,000 animals across the state. Results should be completed by the end of January. Currently, there are approximately 25 26 counties with confirmed cases of CWD. New counties added this past year include Wapello, Davis and Shelby. With much concern about EHD this year we have also put together a self-reporting sight on the DNR webpage for people to submit deer suspected of dying from EHD. The extended warm fall seemed to have pushed the EHD season longer than normal this year. Counties reporting early were more centrally located in the State, with some southern counties reporting deer later into the fall. It is important when self-reporting to only report the deer you find yourself and not deer people have told you about. If friends talk to you about deer they have found please guide them to the DNR webpage to so they can submit their own information. It is our goal with this new way of reporting to help capture a better understanding of what is occurring on the landscape. I always enjoy talking about Iowa’s forest wildlife species. I am available for your questions anytime. Contact me at james.coffey@dnr.iowa.gov or send your questions to the IBA editor and I will do my best to answer them.

24 IOWA BOWHUNTERS ASSOCIATION

www.iowabowhunters.org