"The problem I see is that hunters spend a lot of time studying and patterning bucks pre-rut, then set up their stands and do their hunts based on those pre-rut patterns," Munkel continued. "But once the rut starts, the bucks change their patterns because they're chasing does. Personally, I scout does ahead of the season, because once the rut starts, the bucks will be where the does are. When I hear guys say that the bucks they've been watching all summer "disappear" during the rut, that just tells me that the bucks are with the does, and the guys didn't know where the does were."

Munkel noted that does in early fall are often widely spread across a variety of habitat.

"Does in Iowa spend a lot of time in corn fields and hay fields and CRP land," he said. "They don't show up in timbers until farmers harvest the crops and take away their cover. On top of those does that are scattered across open country prior to harvest, the rut itself scatters them even more. Bucks start chasing does and push them before they're ready to breed, so it's really a challenge to predict where you'll find deer during the rut.

"But the one thing you can count on is that if you can find does during that time, bucks won't be far away. That's why I scout does in order to find bucks during the rut."

Whether you're scouting does pre-rut in hopes of arrowing a trophy buck during bow season, or using topo maps to plan block-and-drive strategies for shotgun season, statistics indicate there are trophy bucks in every county in Iowa this year. This year a few local legends could threaten world records, if someone manages to take those clever veterans of multiple hunting seasons.

So, just because you may not see as many deer during hunting season, don't let your guard down when it comes to trophy hunting in Iowa. Fewer total deer in Iowa plus selective harvest of bucks equals more trophy-caliber bucks. That's a formula that promises success for both hunters and deer population managers in Iowa.

Find more about Iowa fishing and hunting at: IowaGameandFish.com