Hunting

Quail Resurgence
Quail Resurgence By Troy Hoepker We’d witnessed Casey point plenty of pheasants before but on this point all four of her legs trembled uncontrollably like cold jelly. What lay in the weeds in front of her nose couldn’t be a pheasant? It was something she wasn’t sure of and to tell you the truth, neither […]
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Setting Yourself up for Trapline Success
Setting Yourself up for Trapline Success By JD Rogge One factor most successful trappers have in common is their dedication to pre-season preparation and scouting. Pre-season prep can be the difference between meeting your season’s goals and falling woefully short of your expectations. I’ve known many trappers who prior to season claim to be ready […]
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5 Tips for Season Opener
5 Tips for Season Opener #5 Tree Stand Inspections – Every year in late August, around the time I put my fall plots in, I do a complete inspection of every tree stand and ground blind set that I have. I make sure all the climbing sticks and the stands are tight and secure. While […]
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7 Ways to Tune Your Archery Equipment Before Opening Day
7 Ways to Tune Your Archery Equipment Before Opening Day As October 1st approaches, approximately 45,000 Iowans will prepare for opening day of Iowa’s deer archery season. Horn hunters and meat hunters alike should be sure equipment is in top-shape before hitting the timber is pursuit of Iowa’s whitetail deer. There is nothing worse than […]
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Bismuth Shot Fundamentals
Bismuth Shot Fundamentals Around the time I was born, lead shot used in waterfowl hunting began to be phased out. I vaguely recall my dad and grandpas grumbling about the lesser performance of steel shot for a few years preceding when I was old enough to know what duck hunting was. Nonetheless, this was the […]
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Whitetail Shot Placement Outcome and Blood Tracking Guide
Whitetail Shot Placement Outcome and Blood Tracking Guide By Noah Gandy The moment of truth has finally arrived and all of your hard work has paid off. You got your shot on that whitetail you’ve been after for so long. Your arrow struck and your animal has bound out of sight. The impact was not […]
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Whitetails 365: Septembers – Setting The Trap
Whitetails 365: Septembers – Setting The Trap By Tom Peplinski I’ve always wanted to be a trapper; running the trap line on vast amounts of acreage. The anticipation or waiting game after setting the trap…what could be waiting for me around the next bend as my set comes into view would be exhilarating! Well, maybe […]
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Whitetails 365: Neighborhood Blues
Whitetails 365: Neighborhood Blues By Tom Peplinski This month, I am responding to a question concerning dealing with neighbors and trying to set up a management program in the neighborhood. Brady from Davis county asks, “For several years now, I have been trying to get my neighbors to agree on a management strategy of shooting […]
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5 Fallacies in Deer Hunting
5 Fallacies in Deer Hunting By Jason Smith While brainstorming on this topic, I had so many different items jotted down that I almost didn’t know where to start. I’ve thinned them down as well as I could, by picking out and sharing just a handful of my favorites. 1: Bucks Contribute More to Offspring […]
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Public Land Success Depends Upon Your Efforts
Public Land Success Depends Upon Your Efforts By Mac Chilton Hunting public land whitetails in any state is tough. If that state has minimal public lands, the task can be that much tougher. Iowa is composed of 36 million acres, and of that land, roughly 1 percent of it is state owned recreation land. If […]
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