HUNTING & FISHING IN IOWA

Mountain Lion shot in Iowa

2009-12-15T11:12:00.000-08:00

http://www.kwwl.com/global/story.asp?s=11683852http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/79313477.html This Mountain Lion was shot not more than 6 miles from where I hunt. It kind of makes you feel like your not on the top spot of the food chain

Deer Hunting

2009-12-11T15:17:00.000-08:00

This years bowhunting experience was quite an adventure. I wasn't even going to go hunting because of a recent neck and shoulder surgery. I couldn't even pull my bow back at the lowest setting. So after thinking about not being out in the fall woods hunting deer, I talked to a few friends and decided to get a crossbow permit. After purchasing a crossbow permit I started searching for crossbow. I found a Barnett Predator with 24 bolts, quiver, scope and a sling at a very good price. When I received my crossbow I took a few practice shots in the back yard. WOW!!! That is no toy to be reckoned with. My block target that stops my arrows from my bow is nothing for this crossbow. The bolts from the crossbow go clear through this target like butter. Needless to say it would be plenty powerful enough to knock down the toughest whitetail deer. So here is the first video my son and I made of a whitetail deer hunt.

Fishing

2009-12-11T15:14:00.000-08:00

I have fished for walleye for quite a few years and have fished honey holes all over Iowa. Some of the best places are closer to home than most people think. Their are so many overlooked hot spots to fish in Iowa without any heavy fishing pressure. The Cedar River and Wapsipinicon are two of my favorite rivers to fish. I like to use a 1/4 ounce jig head with a stinger hook tipped with a half a nightcrawler. Sometimes I use a worm harness with two hooks and a bright colored blade with a 1/8 ounce worm sinker slipped above a small swivel. I look for sandbar drop offs and deep outer corners when fishing for walleye. The Cedar River between the Brandon Bridge (Highway D65) and Minneastima Park is my favorite stretch of river to fish. This stretch of river has many sandbar drop offs and long stretches to troll. I have caught many walleyes weighing 6 pounds plus through this stretch of river. Sometimes catching 5 to 8 fish in one hole. On most outings in this stretch of river hooking 20 to 50 walleyes is not uncommon. The best times to fish are from sunrise to around 11:00 am and from around 4:00 pm to sunset. My next favorite spot is the Wapsipinicon River from Three Elms Park (Independence) to about 3/4 mile south of the Highway 20 Bridge. I have caught many walleye in the 2 to 4 pound range through this stretch of river. The walleye seem to run a little smaller in the Wapsi than in the Cedar, but you can expect to catch more walleye in the Wapsi. Both rivers can be fished from shore, but a small boat or canoe can make your chances of catching your limit easier.

Turkey Hunting

2009-12-11T15:11:00.000-08:00

Shot a nice little video of my son and daughter shooting turkeys within 15 minutes of each other out of the same stand. This would be my daughter's first turkey. I have hunted turkeys for about 20 years, and I think it was more enjoyable for me to just watch through the view finder as my kids find a turkey in there sights.