Iowan
Active Member
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- 537
I was fortunate(?) to have drawn the Unit 2C January archery hunt. I just got back from hunting seven days and wanted to give you all a report on this hunt and my thoughts on the unit.
Some earlier posts about this unit and hunt are really accurate. In an earlier post it was noted that of the 50 tags maybe 2 hunters will put their tag on a buck of 170"+. It is not due to a shortage a good bucks but they are very hard to find and even harder to get within bow range. Here is a list of things you need to know if you are going to apply for this unit:
90% of the hunters that are successful shoot their deer from the road (I may be understating this percentage). I often saw people riding in the back of pick ups slowly down the roads. Not judging anyone but this is not what I drive 18 hours to spend my time doing. My guide has taken a couple good archery bucks from this unit and ALL have been shot from the road - shame on me for not asking this question before the hunt. Every deer I know that was taken was shot from the road.
There are great bucks in this unit and I saw many of them. If you are a hunter that will not settle for anything less than a 170" deer this might be the unit for you. If you need to fill your tag and are willing to shoot a 'small' buck pick another unit (2B for example).
I had been told this is a great spot and stalk hunt. I do not think this is accurate. With no snow I think you could spot and stalk but with the crunchy snow that is there now forget it. I should have used a pop up blind and found a buck in the morning and set up a pop up blind at some ambush point each night. In Iowa I do a lot of sitting on stand and I really wanted to be on the move (spot and stalk) so I was reluctant to sit.
If you do not have great optics and the ability to use them for hours on end this unit is not for you. Other than driving the roads the only way you are going to find the good bucks is by long hours behind a spotter.
I saw more than enough deer to keep me interested and other than the fact that I did not know it was a road hunt and was very disappointed that spot and stalk was not a real option it was a good experience. I lost a bunch of my hunting days to vehicle problems and some other BS but such is life.
There are great bucks in this unit, almost none are killed with archery equipment and even fewer are killed in a manner I am comfortable with. If you are happy being in a unit where there are some great bucks knowing your odds of killing one are well under 5% than you might really enjoy this hunt.
This hunt was very similar to the hunt I had in Utah in October - big canyon country with deer scattered all over huge mesas. The difference was that the Utah unit was set up for spot and stalk perfectly (no snow) plus it was a rifle hunt. The Utah unit also had lots of small bucks and does so if you just need a deer fix you could easily find 100 deer in a morning. Finding even a doe in 2C at times was tough.
Since I had taken a good buck in Utah earlier I was willing to eat tag soup (still do not like the taste). If nothing else remember this one estimate - of 50 tags maybe two are put on bucks over 170" and when conditions are like they are now with the crunchy snow possibly none are taken spot and stalk. My hat is off to the one or two people that will take bucks in this unit over 170" via spot and stalk or ambush!
Now a rifle tag might be a whole different story. If I lived closer I might apply for this tag again but my time and money are simply better spent on other hunts so the draw odds just went up for you guys .01% or so. I will end by saying that had there been no snow or soft snow this hunt may have been amazing but from what I was told there is always crunchy snow there this time of the year.
If anyone wants more information feel free to PM me. If anyone does draw I am happy to share what I learned. If I could start the hunt over knowing what I know now I think I could get to 50/50 on taking a buck 160" plus. I have yet to draw the same unit out west twice but when I do look out.
Some earlier posts about this unit and hunt are really accurate. In an earlier post it was noted that of the 50 tags maybe 2 hunters will put their tag on a buck of 170"+. It is not due to a shortage a good bucks but they are very hard to find and even harder to get within bow range. Here is a list of things you need to know if you are going to apply for this unit:
90% of the hunters that are successful shoot their deer from the road (I may be understating this percentage). I often saw people riding in the back of pick ups slowly down the roads. Not judging anyone but this is not what I drive 18 hours to spend my time doing. My guide has taken a couple good archery bucks from this unit and ALL have been shot from the road - shame on me for not asking this question before the hunt. Every deer I know that was taken was shot from the road.
There are great bucks in this unit and I saw many of them. If you are a hunter that will not settle for anything less than a 170" deer this might be the unit for you. If you need to fill your tag and are willing to shoot a 'small' buck pick another unit (2B for example).
I had been told this is a great spot and stalk hunt. I do not think this is accurate. With no snow I think you could spot and stalk but with the crunchy snow that is there now forget it. I should have used a pop up blind and found a buck in the morning and set up a pop up blind at some ambush point each night. In Iowa I do a lot of sitting on stand and I really wanted to be on the move (spot and stalk) so I was reluctant to sit.
If you do not have great optics and the ability to use them for hours on end this unit is not for you. Other than driving the roads the only way you are going to find the good bucks is by long hours behind a spotter.
I saw more than enough deer to keep me interested and other than the fact that I did not know it was a road hunt and was very disappointed that spot and stalk was not a real option it was a good experience. I lost a bunch of my hunting days to vehicle problems and some other BS but such is life.
There are great bucks in this unit, almost none are killed with archery equipment and even fewer are killed in a manner I am comfortable with. If you are happy being in a unit where there are some great bucks knowing your odds of killing one are well under 5% than you might really enjoy this hunt.
This hunt was very similar to the hunt I had in Utah in October - big canyon country with deer scattered all over huge mesas. The difference was that the Utah unit was set up for spot and stalk perfectly (no snow) plus it was a rifle hunt. The Utah unit also had lots of small bucks and does so if you just need a deer fix you could easily find 100 deer in a morning. Finding even a doe in 2C at times was tough.
Since I had taken a good buck in Utah earlier I was willing to eat tag soup (still do not like the taste). If nothing else remember this one estimate - of 50 tags maybe two are put on bucks over 170" and when conditions are like they are now with the crunchy snow possibly none are taken spot and stalk. My hat is off to the one or two people that will take bucks in this unit over 170" via spot and stalk or ambush!
Now a rifle tag might be a whole different story. If I lived closer I might apply for this tag again but my time and money are simply better spent on other hunts so the draw odds just went up for you guys .01% or so. I will end by saying that had there been no snow or soft snow this hunt may have been amazing but from what I was told there is always crunchy snow there this time of the year.
If anyone wants more information feel free to PM me. If anyone does draw I am happy to share what I learned. If I could start the hunt over knowing what I know now I think I could get to 50/50 on taking a buck 160" plus. I have yet to draw the same unit out west twice but when I do look out.
