Hunting

Summer Hunter's Checklist Timber Stand Improvement The Wild Past of Iowa

Whitetails 365: Summer Hunter’s Checklist

Whitetails 365: Summer Hunter’s Checklist For most Iowans, this time of year is time for barbecues, swimming pools, and lazy afternoons. But for a hunter, our brains are keyed in on hunting, and we’re continuously thinking about how we can improve our land and get ready for deer season 2025. Use this time as a […]

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How to Break Bad Archery Habits

How to Break Bad Archery Habits Several years ago, I used to go to several archery shoots through the summer. It was a time to hone-in my archery skills, relax, and prepare for the upcoming archery season. For me, archery is my passion and summer is a prime time for preparation, and to sharpen archery […]

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The Essentials of Food Plots

The Essentials of Food Plots When it comes to hunting, we’ve seen food plots transform the way we hunt today. Few things are as effective at attracting and holding wildlife as a well-planned food plot on your hunting property. Whether you’re trying to grow and hold trophy bucks, increase your turkey population, or support the […]

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Getting Youth Involved in Pheasant Season

Bird Habitats in Iowa

Bird Habitats in Iowa Iowa’s landscape is home to many bird species. From timber to grasslands and wetlands, different habitats support both migratory and resident birds. These landscapes not only provide food and protection for Iowa’s avian friends, but also benefit water quality through erosion control, water filtration, and pollinator support. Intense agricultural practices have […]

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How to Grow Giant Whitetails

How to Grow Giant Whitetails: Unlocking the Power of Minerals

How to Grow Giant Whitetails One of my most memorable hunts was a bowhunt several years ago, it was actually my first year bowhunting. I was in Southern Iowa in November, a combination in itself that is going to be a good day hunting no matter the outcome. The moment I stepped into the timber, […]

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Getting Youth Involved in Turkey Season

Getting Youth Involved in Turkey Season

Getting Youth Involved in Turkey Season Youth turkey season can be such a fun, exciting and rewarding experience.   Here are some tips and tricks for a successful hunt. Get Them Involved Give the youth turkey calls to practice with and invite them to practice calling before season.  A box call or push-button calls are […]

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Back to the Basics

Back to the Basics 

Back to the Basics  Basic drills are where a great bird dog begins. The basic drills are where bird dogs maintain greatness. I like to think of basics as building blocks. Once my dog consistently accomplishes a foundational skill like retrieving, I can add a layer and start doing memory retrieves. After my dog consistently […]

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Favorite Small Game Cartridge

Favorite Small Game Cartridge 

Favorite Small Game Cartridge  I have a picture of my grandpa, Ron, sitting on a mountainside in Colorado with his Ruger 22 Single Six on one knee and a Gray Jay sitting on the other. My grandpa was an avid outdoorsman who used to travel to Colorado for an annual elk-hunting trip. One of his […]

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Make the most out of Spring Turkey Season

How to Find Spring Turkeys

How to Find Spring Turkeys There have been many times throughout my turkey hunting years that I have heard the phrase “There aren’t any turkeys on my ground”, or “I only see turkeys when I’m deer hunting, but never in the spring”.  In my early years I never thought much about it when people said […]

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Leveraging Prairie to Improve Habitat

Leveraging Prairie to Improve Habitat

Leveraging Prairie to Improve Habitat As I write this I am winding down for the evening after surviving an ice crusted day of freezing rain. A unique phenomenon my friend Luke Fritch and I have noticed on such days is the presence of pheasants near our houses as the ice glazes over all of the […]

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