West Cental Iowa Beaglers.

Adam M. O'Donnell · Post by **Adam M. O'Donnell** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 4:02 pm

I am heading to west cental Iowa the last weekend in Oct. (Battle Creek area.) Can anyone tell me why I wouldn't want to come then? Also how's the population out there?

Big Dog · Post by **Big Dog** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 4:08 pm

I go to Iowa every year, I normally go the first or second week of November though. The only drawback to the timeframe that you are going may be the unfinished harvesting of soy beans and corn. It seems like the earlier we go less fields have been picked and the rabbits will head straight for the standing corn and you can forget killing them then. It makes for some good running, but next too impossible to get a shot. Sometimes you can have some warm weather in october also. Last year it was warm up until the weekend before I made the trip. It got cold while we were out there which was good, and we had temps in the 20s - 40s the whole week, which was perfect for hunting.

Big Dog

spado · Post by **spado** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 5:29 pm

I'm from eastern Iowa, and the population is just great right now. We are going through somewhat of a drought, but I don't think that's going to have too much of an effect on them. I kicked three little ones out of my garden this afternoon and they all looked pretty healthy. As far as Oct. goes, that's a pretty nice time of year. We've usually had a couple of good frosts by the end of the month so the cover is starting to diminish as well as the bugs. Only thing is that time of year is when the rut starts for the whitetails and our bow season starts Oct.1 but if you got some land already lined up you should be fine.

Matt Glomski · Post by **Matt Glomski** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 5:51 pm

I was wanting to go on a trip to iowa this fall. Do you guys all hunt public land?

spado · Post by **spado** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 6:26 pm

Matt, I hunt alot of public and private land. There really aren't alot of rabbit hunters out here so it's not hard to find a place to hunt.

Big Dog · Post by **Big Dog** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 7:03 pm

Hey Matt, when I go we hunt about 90% private land, but like spado said, you will not be running into a lot of rabbit hunters. I have been going for 5 years now and have yet to run into another rabbit hunter or even see one in my travels. I ran into Scott wade once, but that was because I was trying to run into him.(LOL) I did see a guy once that had two beagles, but he didn't have a gun and only one of the dogs was running and he wasn't very good at it. He put his dogs up and ended up listening to us for about an hour.

Big Dog

Matt Glomski · Post by **Matt Glomski** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 7:28 pm

So do you drive out there and just start asking or do you have some connections out there?

Kansas Mike · Post by **Kansas Mike** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 8:36 pm

Adam, I have hunted in Western Iowa some. Every farmer I stopped and talked to was friendly, and most will let you hunt. One piece of advice. I'm pretty sure that the last weekend of October is the opening weekend of bird season. You will have some competition for land. A lot of Kansas bird hunters go up to get an early start on bird season. But, Big Dog is right, you will probably have the rabbits all to yourself.

Mike

Adam M. O'Donnell · Post by **Adam M. O'Donnell** » Thu Aug 04, 2005 4:59 am

Thanks you guys! I'm ok with the bird hunting, as we will also be taking two pointers! I was just hoping you all wouldn't come back and say "Don't come then, that's a terrible time" LOL.
As for hunting property... The friends house I'm staying at there in Battle Creek, he is a crop adjuster, and tells me I need not worry about a place to hunt. He also said they are having a bumper crop of phesants this year.

B.Trull · Post by **B.Trull** » Thu Aug 04, 2005 6:17 am

My kennel partner is in Centerville and only hunts public land and has tons of rabbits. Most everyone there is deer, turkey or upland bird, hunter, and kind of look down on rabbit hunters

This year rifles are being allowed in southern 2 tier of counties, be careful. I wish IDNR would run that special again like in 03'

Postman · Post by **Postman** » Thu Aug 04, 2005 5:30 pm

You guys are crazy!!! I go south every year to run for a week in Mississippi. The rabbits weigh three times more and run bigger than these little rabbits we have here in Iowa.

Scott

Hilltop Kennels · Post by **Hilltop Kennels** » Thu Aug 04, 2005 6:50 pm

Been out there rabbit hunting abd bird hunting and had a blast going back this year to run the fur off of them.(I Hope) LOL Good Luck it is a great time. I have never seen another Rabbit hunter either, seen alot of bird hunters though. I would try to wait until the crop is out, it is easier to kill them and you do not make the farmer mad. Good Luck.

Matt Glomski · Post by **Matt Glomski** » Thu Aug 04, 2005 6:54 pm

Scott what time of year do you go to Mississippi??

rshaw · Post by **rshaw** » Thu Aug 04, 2005 9:30 pm

I've been checking out some places in Iowa. I just found a place that is about 400 acres or so and it is so thick you have to cut your way through. I'm anxious to try it out. The area that it's in has a ton of rabbits. I start almost all of my pups there. My boss at work goes to Lake Sugema and said you can sit in lawn chair and watch rabbits running everywhere. I guess the groundskeeper said that there are hardly any coyotes around so the rabbits just run everywhere. Hope to check it out this fall!!!

Postman · Post by **Postman** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 3:27 pm

Matt,
We go the first or second week of February. We have gone the past five years and really enjoy the trip.
Scott