I probably shouldn't touch this with a 10' pole, but here I go...
I moved to IA 15 yrs ago. It is true that the deer hunting is very challenging. Very little public land. Much of the hunting is on what little 'marginal' farmland is not tied up in heavy duty agriculture. Sometimes river or creek bottoms between fields or the rougher terrain/soils that are less profitable to farm between the large corn and bean fields. Many guys work hard to lease access to, or even purchase, acreage to hunt whitetail deer on. We're not talking a high fence or game ranch operation at all. Its wild deer that are free ranging.
The deer can grow very large racks and the area is famous for them. Many plant small food plots and devote a lot of sweat to attract big bucks to their land and learn their habits. The only hunting allowed during the primary rut is bowhunting. I have hosted relatives from PA who were lucky to draw tags here and were very excited to bowhunt for whitetails in Iowa.
As a mid-Atlantic/New England transplant that was accustomed to hunting the big woods for deer with a rifle, I never have been able to switch over completely to main styles of deer hunting out here. There is an early muzzleloader hunt for residents only that comes closest to approximating the solitude and stalking in larger public land areas that I enjoy most.
The key thing here is "what I enjoy most".
I have many friends here that bowhunt for big whitetails during our rut. I have helped my friends hang stands, plant foodplots, prune shooting lanes, and check trail cams; it takes dedication and passion to play that game as much as hunting in the big woods back east or out west in vast and varied terrain.
I think the idea of trading hunts and making new friends is kind of neat.
Peace,
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