Mother Nature hasn’t been cooperating with bow hunters so far this fall, with a near record rain amount September that wasn’t good for crop harvest and summerlike temperatures extending into the second week of October.
But things are about to change.
The recent stretch of dry weather has farmers spending long days combining in the fields and the weather forecast includes lows in the 30s for the upcoming weekend.
“With the cooler temperatures coming, hunters are getting excited,” said Jace Elliott, state deer biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
The season’s low temperatures coincide with the opening of the early muzzleloader season and the continuation of Iowa’s archery season. Elliott said hunters may need to switch up some of their early season tactics because of all the rain during the growing season, and oak acorn production that has been variable across the state.
“Due to all the rain, natural forage has been really prevalent this year and deer seem to be remaining in the timber where they have ample cover and food,” he said. “Deer are still disbursed, but that can change as the crops come out and temperatures drop.”
Iowa averages more than 50,000 bow hunters each year, who spend an average of 20 days per season in their tree stands. In 2025, Iowa bow hunters reported harvesting more than 20,000 deer.
The Iowa DNR partners with thousands of bow hunters for the annual bow hunter observation survey that records data on different wildlife species seen while in the timber, hours spent hunting, and more.
“Bow hunters are our most avid hunting group, spending the most time in the field,” Elliott said. “And what we’ve been hearing from them in recent years is they are seeing fewer deer throughout much of the state. And that is what our annual spring spotlight survey has found, as well.
“While the deer herd is not distributed evenly across the state, the 2026 spring spotlight survey had the lowest deer counts in a decade. Even when adjusted for weather and timing, the counts are still relatively low compared to past years.”
However, there is evidence that the deer numbers in western Iowa are increasing and that’s very encouraging to see, he said.
“The western region has had a break from hemorrhagic disease for the last couple years and we’re now starting to see the effect of recent regulation changes, primarily removal of all the additional doe tags over the years,” Elliott said.
Iowa’s bow season is open through Dec. 4, closes for the two regular gun seasons, then reopens Dec. 21 through Jan. 10, 2027. The early muzzleloader season runs from Oct. 17-25.