Well know Hunting Beast Member Joe Elsinger also know as JoeRE on the forum shares his tips and tactics for hunting Hill Country bucks in Northeast Iowa.

Joe shares his evolution as a hunter. Much of the time spent growing up on a farm in Northeast Iowa honed his outdoorsmanship from tracking, trapping, shooting, glassing, and living off the land.

What I learned:
- There is no substitute for time on foot, and time in the outdoors all year long. Scout and prep twice as many areas as you want to hunt.
- Pick your properties often, and early. Get boots on the ground to survey what is available.
- Plan your approach. Monitor more properties than you can hunt. This allows you the flexibility to pin point hunts during the season.
- Differentiate early season bedding, fall bedding, and pre-rut bedding etc..
- Know how thermals behave in hill country can allow you to hunt less than favorable winds.
- Understand how your food sources will impact the areas you are hunting; crop rotation, acorn crops, and more.
- A minimalist approach to equipment. Take what you use not necessarily what you think you need.
- In hill country, the bigger the hills, the harder the access, the less hunting pressure
- Tracks can allow you identify specific deer on various properties in combination with observations (glassing, shining, cameras)
- First time sits are critical
- We all have to play a part in sharing our outdoor heritage with our family, friends, and beyond.