All | Hunting | Fishing | Gear & More
Iowa’s Wild Mushrooms 101 – Podcast
Welcome to another episode of The Iowa Sportsman Podcast! On this episode we are joined by returning guest Dan Turner to discuss wild mushrooms in Iowa. While the morel reigns king of the Iowa mushrooms, Dan goes over all of the different varieties you can find, where and when to find them along with specific locations and other details about Iowa's wild edible mushrooms. If you like finding mushrooms in the wild or have been wanting to get into the hobby make sure and catch this episode!
SHALLOW WATER WALLEYES
by Bob Jensen Walleyes are often thought of as a fish that inhabits the depths, and there are times when most of them will be found in deep water. However, there are other times, more than you may think, when you can catch walleyes shallow, shallow being eight feet or less. Here are some ideas for taking walleyes in shallow water. Walleyes spawn in shallow water, water so shallow sometimes their dorsal fin will be above the surface of the water. After the spawn they move into the mid-depths to recover from the rigors of spawning, or maybe they stay in the shallows and just don't eat much. But a few days after spawning has ended, walleyes will get active [...]
What A Drag!
During the process of outfitting a customer new to the sport of angling, there was nothing more gratifying than seeing the looks on their faces when I would show them the properties of their new drag system. I would stand behind the counter holding their rig and instruct them to grab the end of the line which usually had the lure attached having shown them how to accomplish that with the improved clinch or Palomar knot. As they were instructed to walk away from me I would incrementally tighten the drag in order to prove a point. When they would look back at me in amazement the lesson was over. This amazement they displayed was all the more gratifying when [...]
Last Second Scouting Tips
Last Second Scouting Tips: No time to scout? No worries! The best time to scout for turkeys is the weeks or even days leading up to your season. While scouting for birds every weekend all year round is fun and gives you something to do, it isn’t necessarily in order to take a turkey this spring, nor is it realistic. Many hunters just don’t have the time to keep an eye on birds 365 days a year. In fact I would be willing to bet most hunters get maybe 1-2 days worth of scouting at best before their season arrives. Nevertheless some scouting is vital to consistent success and there is no better time to do so than right before [...]
How To Become A Landowner – Podcast
Welcome to another episode of The Iowa Sportsman Podcast! On this episode Dan is joined by Ben Harshyne of Whitetail Properties. This is a great show for anyone looking at making the jump into landownership. Thy guys discuss numerous topics about what you need to know when buying recreational property. Ben gives great step by step detail of the processes involved...included topics discussed are: What kind of land do you want to buy? Figuring out your budget. Getting approved for a loan. Contacting a real estate agent. Government funded land programs. Supplemental income from the property If owning land has always been a dream for you, make sure and listen to this podcast as it may help that dream come [...]
Primetime for Panfish
By Kyle Wood March is a wonderful time of the year that can bring warm weather and with it, thoughts of open water. This leads most anglers to begin preparing for open water leaving many opportunities to fish areas with limited pressure. Some of the biggest bluegills and crappies that swim in systems are caught now. Late ice can hold wonders for those who venture out and capitalize on once-again active fish. Safety One of the most important parts of late ice fishing is knowing your limits. Absolutely no fish is worth risking your life on sketchy ice conditions. Only go out on ice that is thick enough to make you feel comfortable and always drill and check the ice [...]
Traits of a Consistent Beard Collector
Traits of a Consistent Beard Collector By Earl Taylor I love turkey hunting. It will be part of my Spring routine until I can’t walk and when my trigger finger is too weak to set off a shell. Turkey hunting is the one hunt that a kid or an octogenarian can hunt with success regularly; there is no magical formula; when it works, it works, and when it doesn’t, there are still great sights and sounds of spending a spring morning in the timber. There are three different aspects of the hunt which must come together consistently to score on the long beards. If you don’t understand and implement each part well, there will be a lack of consistency. Create [...]
Becoming A Better Catfish Angler
Becoming A Better Catfish Angler By Brad Durick Catfishing is exploding in the United States. In many circles it is considered the fastest growing segment of fishing. While some long time catfish experts deny this increase in anglers and insist it is just people coming out from the shadows and being seen like they never have before. One thing we cannot argue is catfishing is popular. It is obvious that catfishing is getting more press, and why wouldn’t it? Of course it would when pictures of huge fish show up on social media every day. It is actually becoming common to see blue cats over 100 pounds caught somewhere in the United States. If you take a look at social [...]
The Turkey Season Dilemma
The Turkey Season Dilemma There is nothing like a cool crisp morning in the Spring. A gentle blanket of dew, or possibly frost, on the ground, the sun slowly warming up the sky, and the silence that is shattered by a tom turkey sounding off from his roost. A gobble will get a hunters heart a-pumping, his adrenaline running, and his senses focused. Hearing that call is just the beginning of the hunt. The rest is the hard part. The real question is, are you up to it? If you’re planning on purchasing a turkey tag for one of the 2018 turkey seasons, read through some of the following tips and tricks that will hopefully allow you to carry a [...]
Shot Placement Guide For Bowhunting Turkeys
When using a bow to hunt turkeys, many different shots and angles will present themselves. To make a clean ethical kill a hunter must know where to aim on the turkey at any given moment. While a turkey looks to be a decent sized target to hit, it isn’t. The vitals are extremely small, near the size of a softball. Then on top of that you add the plumage of the bird and what looks to be a big sizeable target is actually less. The goal of any shot is to disrupt a combination of a turkey’s circulatory, neurological, muscular or skeletal systems. Below are several different shots and angles that turkeys will give a hunter at any given time [...]
