Hunter Arrows 216-Inch Iowa Whitetail After Year-Long Chase

Matthew Mogenson connected with the 19-point Iowa giant on the evening of October 18. Here's the full story behind his once-in-a-lifetime buck

BY TRAVIS HALL

Hunter Arrows 216-Inch Iowa Whitetail After Year-Long Chase

Iowa is a whitetail hunter’s mecca because it produces big-bodied bucks with superior genetics year after year. But bucks like the one Matthew Mogenson arrowed on the evening of October 18 are rare trophies—even by Hawkeye State standards. Here's the full story of how Mogenson finally connected with the double-drop-tined behemoth after collecting one of its sheds in the offseason—before its antlers ballooned from 160 to well over 200 inches.

Mogenson found out the buck last year when it was a tall-tined, perfectly symmetrical 6X6. "He was a typical 160-inch main frame 12 pointer," he told Field & Stream. "He showed up very consistently on one of my cell cams during the heat of the rut. I hunted him a few times last year then ended up killing a different buck in the southern part of the state. Luckily, he showed up on my camera again the day after the 2023 season ended. I searched hard for his sheds but never found them."

He finally got one of the buck's sheds in hand after the landowner's dog dragged it up to their house. "That got me pretty excited," Mogenson said. "I was looking forward to hunting him this year and hoped he would survive the summer months. I began running trail cameras through a 2-mile stretch of timber along a river that I knew he'd be passing through." 

Mogenson captured new photos shortly thereafter. Not only did the buck survive the summer months, its rack had absolutely exploded. "I knew right then I was hunting a 200-inch deer," he said. "I began hanging stands, putting out more trail cameras, and making mock scrapes."

As the summer progressed, the buck's home range narrowed. "He began showing up every day, and he stayed in one area," Mogenson said. "Then once the corn started coming out, and he shed his velvet, his attitude changed. He left that side of the property and made his way to the far east side where there was still standing corn."

With his velvet off, the buck's pattern became increasingly nocturnal, Mogenson said. "He started showing up every night after shooting hours, and I knew I needed to start hunting cold fronts," he recalled. "I went out on the afternoon of October 18, the day of the hunter's moon, and decided I was going to rattle really aggressively."

Mogenson was hunting the edge of a cornfield. Toward the end of his evening hunt, with 20 does milling around in the field, he started banging his rattling horns together. "I did one aggressive rattling session that lasted just a few minutes," he said. "Fifteen minutes later, I heard something behind me in the timber creeping through the woods. I thought it was a racoon at first, then I saw this giant rack with tines going everywhere."

The deer walked right past his stand, and Mogenson released a perfect double-lung shot from just 20 yards away. The buck, which he'd named Mega, ran 60 yards and crashed into the timber. 

An hour later, Mogenson walked into the woods with a good friend and found Mega lying on his side. He had 19 points with two drop tines off the right beam measuring 12 and 9 inches. It's inside spread stretched to more than 18 inches in length. "I couldn't believe the chase had finally come to an end," he said. "I was stoked beyond belief." 

Prime Fall Fishing On The Rainy

On the South Shore...  Now is prime time to head up to Lake of the Woods (LOW) and the Rainy River as fall fishing is in full swing!  With plenty of limits of walleyes and saugers being caught, and a favorable weather forecast, anglers are enjoying some excellent fishing.

Dress for Comfort: With cooler mornings, dressing in layers is essential. Ice fishing gear is ideal for early mornings, and you can shed layers as the day warms. A warm hat and gloves or mittens are also handy.

The best bite on the south end of LOW has been in 22-28 feet of water. Water temperatures are dropping and as the temps cool further, the bite has been excellent.

Vertical jigging with frozen emerald shiners remains highly effective. Bring plenty of bait, as you’ll need to sort through some smaller fish, but you’re likely to land keepers as well as larger walleyes. Anglers have also reported good numbers of jumbo perch and occasional pike mixed in with the walleyes.

Good Jig Colors: This week’s hot colors have been gold, gold/glow white, gold/chartreuse, gold/orange, and gold/pink.

On the Rainy River...  Shiners and walleyes continue to move into the Rainy River, making it an ideal spot for targeting large walleyes. Anglers are experiencing success up and down the river, especially in areas throughout Four Mile Bay.  Walleyes are being caught in various depths, but 15-25 feet of water has been good.

Jigging with live or frozen emerald shiners has been highly effective. Some anglers are also trolling crankbaits to cover more ground and find fish. Both methods are producing solid results.

Sturgeon Fishing: With cooler days and shorter daylight hours, sturgeon activity has picked up. Catch-and-release sturgeon fishing is open, providing anglers with an exciting opportunity to hook into these prehistoric giants.

Up at the NW Angle...  Fall fishing is firing on all cylinders up at the Angle, where walleyes continue to be concentrated around traditional areas with structure. Points, neck-down areas with current, shoreline breaks, and transition zones from rock to mud are all productive locations for walleye right now.

In addition to walleyes, anglers are catching pike, jumbo perch, and crappies. Using a jig and minnow is a tried-and-true approach and continues to yield excellent results.

Muskie fishing is also hot this time of year, with anglers casting and trolling to find these predators. Big muskies over 50 inches are being caught and released.

For those looking to enjoy some fall fishing at its finest, now is the time to head to Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River. With cooling water temps, great weather on the horizon, and prime fishing conditions, it’s a fantastic opportunity to jig up some walleyes and saugers for a fish fry. So, bundle up, gather your gear, and come experience the unforgettable fishing that awaits you up north!

For more information on fall and winter fishing packages, visit LakeoftheWoodsMN.com/Lodging.