Property/Gear

Chasing Nighttime Fish

Chasing Nighttime Fish How’s this for fishing the first night of this past Walleye Opener on West Okoboji? Six walleyes 15-16 inches, another 12 walleyes in the slot from 17-22 inches, 5 walleyes over the slot with the largest at 25 inches. Oh, and a 22.5-inch/7-pound 4-ounce trophy smallmouth! Not a bad night’s work, I’d […]

Tips for Fishing in Hot Temps

Tips for Fishing in Hot Temps The average summertime temperatures in Iowa are between 82°F and 87°F, and mid-day temperatures often touch 90° to 100°F throughout the state. Not to terrible…right? With humidity levels easily reaching over 70 percent, it can make an outdoor enthusiast think twice before heading to the open water. Even worse, […]

So you Want to go Elk Hunting…

So you Want to go Elk Hunting… In the May issue of Iowa Sportsman I advised readers, “Don’t put off until tomorrow, that which can be done today. Life is short and none of us are guaranteed tomorrow. Instead of talking about that hunting trip out West or fishing trip up North, set a date […]

Topwater Baits 101

Topwater Baits 101 The topwater bait is no doubt the most fun way to catch bass. Over the last century topwater baits have probably hooked more anglers than any other kind of fishing lure. When used under the right circumstances these baits can consistently bring bass in all day long. I hope this article will […]

Summer Prep For Fall Hunting: Whitetails 365

Summer Prep For Fall Hunting: Whitetails 365 As a year-round deer hunter, I don’t consider the legal season opener as the start of my hunting season. In fact, there is no start for many whitetail hunters like myself who have never stopped. On the last day of the legal season to hunt, I am already […]

What to do When Skunks Spray

What to do When Skunks Spray Time seemed to stand still in the weeks leading up to our South Dakota pheasant hunting trip last fall. At last, the morning finally came! With trucks loaded with gear, we set out on the 6-hour drive to our pheasant mecca, anticipation building by the mile to get our […]

Adding Sweeteners to Food Plots: Whitetails 365

Adding Sweeteners to Food Plots: Whitetails 365 I don’t know that I have a single stand placed for archery hunting that is without some kind of what I call a sweetener. This might be unimpressive if I had only one or two, but I have dozens of stands across five different farms that I plan […]

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 […]

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 […]

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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