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Mature Velvet Bucks and Cameras
Mature Velvet Bucks and Cameras By Jacob Miner One of the most exciting times in my opinion to be a whitetail hunter is the end of July and August. All the sweat equity is almost done minus fall brassica plots and it’s now time to take inventory of what bucks are still around and what bucks are calling your property home during the latter part of the summer. I cannot wait for those last couple weeks of July because for me that is when the trail cameras go out on my farms. I happen to run cellular trail cameras so a couple days before I deploy my watch guards, I am replacing batteries, formatting SD cards and checking straps making [...]
Surviving the Trip of a Lifetime
Surviving the Trip of a Lifetime By Ryan Woythaler It’s the fishing trip you’ve waited your lifetime for. Years of hearing stories and dreaming about Canada’s north woods fishing and you are finally making it happen. A week with your best friend in a remote fly-in lodge, what more could a guy ask for? You did everything right, you researched the best lodge on an otherwise deserted lake, well away from all the other tourists and newbie fisherman. You are in the back woods and that’s the way it should be. The memories made from this trip will never be lost; but if you aren’t prepared you might be. Towards the end of your trip your fishing partner comes down [...]
Hanging out in Iowa: Hammock Camping in the Hawkeye State
Hanging out in Iowa: Hammock Camping in the Hawkeye State By Rod and Laura Woten It doesn’t seem to matter where we camp, our hammock setup always seems to be the talk of the campground. If we had a nickel for every person that stops by and asks to check out the hammocks that Laura and I camp in, we’d be well on my way to financial independence! While we’ve only been hardcore hammock campers for a couple of years now, we are both committed to the mantra of, “I’ll never sleep on the ground again!” We are hearing the same thing from other hammock campers. To someone that doesn’t hammock camp it may sound impossible. “How do you stay [...]
My 5 Best Largemouth Tips
My 5 Best Largemouth Tips By Todd Reed The largemouth bass, the most familiar fish in the country lives all around us. No matter if you fish a farm pond, a local river, county park, one of the 100’s of man-made lakes around Iowa, or the Mighty Mississippi River, the largemouth bass is waiting for you. Typically we all got hooked on bullheads or bluegills as a young outdoor person, but I bet most of us can remember that first big bass that we caught. If you are like me, you can remember the exact details. That day, way back in the 80’s hooked me for life on chasing these beautiful fish all around Iowa. I was about ten years [...]
What Should I Plant in my Iowa Food Plot
What Should I Plant in my Iowa Food Plot By Jessica Graham Today, the food plot market offers a plethora of choices and varieties for food plots. You can find a multitude of custom blends and plant species. Quite honestly, it can be a little overwhelming with the amount of choices. To narrow these choices down and help you build a food plot paradise, you will first want to consider plants that will grow in Iowa, and then determine if these food sources are preferable to deer. The best food plots will be able to attract and hold deer all year long, and when used in combination, annuals food plots will help you increase your chances of harvesting target deer. [...]
Whitetails 365: Pre-Season Deer Scouting
Whitetails 365: Pre-Season Deer Scouting By Noel Gandy My good friend Jeff Danker coined a phrase over these past few years that I have found myself using quite a bit: “Big Buck Work”. He even a hashtag for the slogan (#bigbuckwork). His logic is taking a trophy deer doesn’t happen on accident and the work that you do beforehand (Big Buck Work) is what puts you in a premium position to get yourself in front of the buck of your dreams. Big buck work can look like a whole lot of things to a whole lot of different people depending on the access you have to hunt. The overarching principal, however, no matter your access or no matter your means, [...]
Learning to Fly Fish Iowa
Learning to Fly Fish Iowa By Nathan Graham When you think fly fishing, I’ll bet you picture mountains, streams and waders – at least I do. However, some excellent opportunities exist right here in Iowa. All Iowans have access to either public or private ponds or lakes. When ponds or lakes are calm and the surface is glassy, using a dry fly to tease the water is an excellent way to draw the attention of nearby fish. Without the distractions at the surface, the action of your fly landing on the water’s surface is sure to get you a strike. Additionally, for those looking for a different experience, you can try fishing northern Iowa’s streams. You will not have mountains [...]
Food Plots 101: Knowing Food Plot Basics
Food Plots 101: Knowing Food Plot Basics By Ryan Graden Food plots can be a big part of hunting here in Iowa for many reasons. Do you absolutely need to have a food plot to have success hunting? No. Would a food plot be a tool in your arsenal for deer and turkey? Absolutely! If you have the opportunity to plant anything that you could hunt over during Iowa’s hunting seasons, I would highly suggest you do so. Why plant a food plot? That’s a very good question. Like I stated previously, food plots are not a must if you are a hunter. I’m certainly not trying to shame anybody out there if they are not planting food plots. However, [...]
Hunter Education, It’s Much More Than Just a Class
Hunter Education, It’s Much More Than Just a Class By Steve Webner Hunting is special in that it can be a solo sport, or you can get a few friends together and enjoy the outdoor experiences together. Some people are forced to hunt alone due to safety, or the lack there of, from others. Walking with a gun pointed at a friend, hunting private property without permission, not closing a landowner’s gate, shooting the wrong species or gender of animal, not providing an animal the respect of fair chase, or harvesting game beyond the legal bag limits. These are just examples of the types of actions that can ruin a great day of hunting. The best days in the field [...]
Beat The Heat! Bring The Great Outdoors, Indoors
Beat The Heat! Bring The Great Outdoors, Indoors By Kent Boucher I have every reason to list summer as my favorite season. It serves as my respite from a year of long weeks in the classroom as a science teacher. My birthday is in early August. My family usually takes a cross country vacation, plus all of the usual reasons most folks love summer, but I don’t. Here are my top three reasons for my contempt: 1. The oppressive heat 2. No hunting seasons (yes, I know squirrels and doves technically start in late summer, but it’s pretty much fall) and 3. did I mention the heat? With a bad case of summer blues, it can be all too easy [...]
