Weekend Camp in Southern Iowa

November 7th and 8th I was invited to hunt on a property in Southern Iowa owned by an uncle of Michael Parker. I had planned on hunting as hard as I could for as long as I could but the conditions were not conducive. After meeting with his uncle and going over trail cam pics, it was decided that there was really only one buck they wanted to be passed on, and that was a 140-145" non-typical 2.5 year old called 'Splits'.

First morning hunt I just biff an opportunity at a 150" clean ten. Not ten minutes later Splits makes his debut. 25 yards broadside but moving. I pass. A few more nice bucks take a trail just out of range before he comes back 30 minutes later. Splits proceeds to stand in front of me for 15 minutes at 10 yards...The kicker? He comes back an hour later and does the same thing...

Michael filled one of his two doe tags, but shot two.

We ended up jumping one of them as the shot was very poor. We would not recover this deer before the coyotes got to it.

Evening hunt Michael sent his climber with the ladder stand and we sat tandem. We had a shooter 8 pt come through and a shot just never cleared itself so no arrow launched.

We saw 70 turkeys in the field behind us

Along with a bruiser tending his does

Saturday morning hunt we struggled as the wind was so bad there was nothing happening.

 When we got back to camp, there was a fat woodchuck sitting on his dirt mound of the old farmstead foundation. I put the .17 to work.

Breakfast and naps ensued. Michael went and found his doe but the coyotes were quick to the carcass...Michael would inevitably hit a deer on the road running into town for ice.

Evening hunt Saturday again Michael joined me tandem in the stand. We would have another encounter with a beautiful buck.

This buck was a 140" 7 pointer that Michael had missed earlier in the year and the landowner had pics and a few encounters with.

 He came in, again, just out of range. 45 yards is just too much of a poke through the timber. We would not see another within range but we did watch a monster in the field behind us at about 175 yards. This was another giant Southern Iowa buck.
I would leave camp happy I was invited, but hungry for another chance. As long as Michael Parker (and my wife) lets me come down, the landowner said I was welcome back.


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