Hunting

The Standard Hunting Poodle
The Standard Hunting Poodle By Ryan Eder I’ll be honest, I never imagined being in a duck blind with a poodle. The thought of trekking through a field in pursuit of a rooster pheasant and shooting over a poodle just never occurred to me. I would venture to guess that this is true for many […]
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What I’ve learned from Being a Sportsmen
What I’ve learned from Being a Sportsmen I’ve spent more than 35 years in the outdoors and learned many life lessons in the process. Following are some of my observations, and I hope the Iowa sportsmen reading this piece nod in agreement on some, laugh out loud at others, and maybe even gasp in disbelief […]
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Three Late Season Turkey Hunting Tips
Three Late Season Turkey Hunting Tips Gobblers are silent, don’t respond to decoys or calls, have been breeding and fighting, and have been pressured and shot at by hunters for over a month now. If you thought early season turkey hunting was tough then welcome to late season turkey hunting! However with all those difficulties […]
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The History of the Fur Trade in Iowa: Part One
The History of the Fur Trade in Iowa: Part One Picture it in your imagination if you possibly can? The year is 1685 and after painstakingly securing supplies and food your trek began in Montreal. Once ready, you managed to navigate the waters of the Ottawa River until it opened wide into the cold waters […]
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Hunting Turkeys on Public Ground
Hunting Turkeys on Public Ground Your season has come and you are rearing to go! You have a tag in your pocket and the itch to get out in the timber and chase some big Iowa Easterns. The gun is dusted off, you have the ammo, the camo, and the eagerness for another hunting turkeys […]
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Red Alert: The Disappearing Fox
Red Alert: The Disappearing Fox By Troy Hoepker I could sense Bob peering over his reading glasses and looking at me much in the same way that my own Grandfather would do from time to time as we both would sit and read quietly. I knew that each of them were simply taking delight in […]
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When we Steady our Upland Hunting Dogs
When we Steady our Upland Hunting Dogs By Ryan Eder Steady to Wing Pointers: For a pointer to be steady to wing (or steady to flush) this would mean that once the dog goes on point, they remain on point while the handler searches for the bird and kicks the bird up (this would also […]
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Field Hunting Mallards
Field Hunting Mallards As I looked through my binoculars, I couldn’t help feeling like an artillery battery waiting for the next wave of fighters. Checking the horizon for that distinct line in the sky. As I squinted harder I saw them! The first small wave followed by a much larger more intimidating squadron. I threw […]
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Strategies to Obtain more Hunting Ground
Strategies to Obtain more Hunting Ground Locking down permission to hunt private land in Iowa is like winning the lottery. Hunters on private land enjoy higher success rates and influence how often the farm is hunted, how many animals are harvested, and how habitat is managed. Moreover, hunters that respect landowners’ wishes and are willing […]
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5 Steps for an Easy DIY European Mount
5 Steps for an Easy DIY European Mount As a native Iowan I am reminded how blessed I am every October when I begin pursuing whitetails in a state notorious for producing trophy class deer. Once the hunt is over, when we have harvested a mature buck, we seek a way to preserve the memories […]
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