Upland

2019 Roadside Survey
Iowa’s pheasant population steady, quail down Iowa’s pheasant hunters should expect to find a similar number of birds as last year, with the exception of south central and southeast Iowa, where the pheasant population decline was more significant. Based on the August roadside survey, Iowa’s statewide average is 17 pheasants per 30 mile route, down […]
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Common Errors Made by Pheasant Hunters
Common Errors Made by Pheasant Hunters One of my favorite experiences is the sudden machine gun-like cadence of an eruption of flapping wings, accompanied by the appearance of a long streamer of tail feathers and the beautiful cola colored outline of a rooster pheasant. In the age of digital media overstimulation it’s hard to find […]
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Wingshooting: Improving Success on Tough Shots
Wingshooting: Improving Success on Tough Shots In a world of wingshooting perfection, our gun barrels would meet their mark despite all odds and unfavorable shooting scenarios. Every pull of the trigger is a direct and focused payload that undoubtedly hits where intended. A limit of birds always equals the number of shells spent. You may […]
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A Flight of Passage!
A Flight of Passage! It starts with a change. That first real bite of cold in early fall when the leaves have barely started to turn and daylight periods grow shorter. It isn’t a rapid change, but more of a coaxing that sends those first early migrants on their southward journey. Waterfowlers sense this as […]
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2019 Roadside Survey – Podcast
Welcome to another episode of The Iowa Sportsman Podcast! On this episode Dan is joined by Steve Weisman to discuss the 2019 August Roadside Survey. Every August the Iowa Department DNR conducts a roadside survey drive of 6,540 miles gathering population data for species such as pheasants, quail, partridge and rabbits. This information is tallied […]
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Being a Soldier Made Me a Better Sportsman
I Started hunting with my father when I was 9 years old. That Ithaca Model 37 was longer than I was and my heavy insulated rubber boots made walking through the fields and woods quite difficult. Hard as it was I loved every minute of it. Whether it was hunting deer or squirrel in the […]
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Big Events Change the Industry
Do you recall significant events that impacted your life? I think we all do. What about a date or event that stands out specific to the firearms industry or those impacting the Second Amendment? Requests like this sometimes come with a bit of research. Sure, when my publisher, Patrick, approached me for this article I […]
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Don’t Be….That Guy
Throughout my life, I have stumbled across individuals who cause the rolling of my eyes. I’m sure, with a few reflective moments, you have experienced the same. This being brought to surface, we are going to take a look at the cause of such eye juggling, as it applies to hunting or fishing camps. For […]
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Difference in Ammo Accuracy
Have you ever heard the United States Marine Corps Rifleman’s Creed? It begins; “This is my rifle. There are many like it but this one is mine.” Perhaps you have? If you haven’t, look it up. Marines train as riflemen first and they learn the creed in turn to accept their rifle as a brother […]
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Trap, Skeet, and Sporting Clays; Three Great Ways to Improve Wing Shooting
“Here they come”, I thought to myself, as a bevy of mourning doves came sailing towards me over the picked cornfield with the intention of finding a roost in the locust grove at my back. As I raised the bead of my shotgun to the belly of the lead bird, I digress back to my […]
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