Hunting

Deer Decoy Mistakes

Deer Decoy Mistakes By Ben Leal As a hunter, I’m always looking out for ways to improve opportunities to fill my tags every year. I know that everyone reading this piece that has purchased a deer tag has had, at some point in their hunting career, tag soup. And, if you’re like me, more than […]

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Tips for Success: Wood Ducks

Tips for Success: Wood Ducks By Ryan Eder Some may disagree with me, but a Drake Wood Duck is one of the prettiest birds on the planet in my opinion. Aside from being one of the best tasting ducks due to their acorn and berry (they do eat other things as well) diet; their feathers […]

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When the Waterfowl Disappear

When the Waterfowl Disappear By Nick Johnson Iowa just seems to be in that perfect position on the continent that hardly lends itself to be a waterfowl hunting destination state. Maybe imperfect is the better word and many local hunters will refer to it as “The Fly Over State”. Okay, this might be a little […]

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So You Think Your Tough Enough?

So You Think You’re Tough Enough? By Ryan Graden I had an unusual year in the fall of 2010. Typically, I would be able to hunt bow season, shotgun season, and late muzzleloader season for whitetails using a combination of my regular hunting licenses and tenant’s licenses. However, that year my schedule would only allow […]

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Whitetail Black Ops: Operation Nocturnal Bruiser

Whitetail Black Ops: Operation Nocturnal Bruiser By Aaron Stonehocker There is very little the modern hunter does not have at his disposal when it comes to tools, weapons, and attractants, that will help to even the odds between the hunter and the hunted. Each year, state of the art equipment makes scouting, patterning, and harvesting […]

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Whitetails 365: Patterning Trophy Bucks Post-Rut

Whitetails 365: Patterning Trophy Bucks Post-Rut By Aaron McKinney As bowhunters, we wait all year for the Iowa rut. We hunt hard, see bucks chasing does around in open fields. We see a lot of deer on their feet moving. Anything can happen during this time. As December approaches, the rut winds down. Deer change […]

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Finding Coyotes before Breeding Season

Finding Coyotes before Breeding Season By Troy Hoepker There’s an old myth that implies coyotes are almost impossible to kill during the months of December and January because of the constant intrusion and disruption from the orange army of deer hunters, which invade their territory during that time. The theory suggests that coyotes become strictly […]

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Three Tips for a Successful Muzzleloader Season

Three Tips for a Successful Muzzleloader Season By Jessica Graham One of the most exciting times to harvest a deer is in the snow, during the late muzzleloader season. It’s during this time that I eagerly retrieve my trusty muzzleloader and go on a mission to harvest does. These does, will be transformed into a […]

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Scoping out Success: Infared or Thermal for Coyote Hunting

Scoping out Success: Infared or Thermal for Coyote Hunting By Aaron Mckinney In Iowa, we see a lot of rules and regulation changes every year. One of the more recent rules has changed the way we can coyote hunt. According to Iowa’s regulations as outlined in the 2023 DNR rules and regulations: “A person may […]

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The Basics of Waterfowl Spreads

The Basics of Waterfowl Spreads By Aaron Stonehocker As the temps cool and the last of the leaves finish turning from brilliant yellows, reds, and oranges into a dull brown, the energy builds for the waterfowl hunters in Iowa. Iowa falls into the Central Mississippi Flyway and Iowa hunters are lucky enough to have access […]

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