The Art of Persuasion: Deer Scents, Rattles, and Bleats 
The Art of Persuasion: Deer Scents, Rattles, and Bleats 

The Art of Persuasion: Deer Scents, Rattles, and Bleats In the 80’s, my father and grandfather were “entry-level” deer hunters.  They had been invited to begin hunting a timber here in central Iowa that had a steady population of deer.  In their efforts to learn more regarding the tactics to use to fool a wise old whitetail, my grandfather and father would douse their boots with fox urine!  It was an effort to hide human scent when they were in the woods.  It goes without saying that those boots were not allowed in the house, ever! There is no doubt […]

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Shooting Optics for the Iowa Hunter 

Shooting Optics for the Iowa Hunter 

Shooting Optics for the Iowa Hunter  Deer season is finally upon us! Whether it’s youth season, early muzzleloader, or if you want to get a jump-start for the December gun seasons, you should begin to get a game plan gathered for your shooting optics. Among the most critical pieces of equipment are your optics, from […]

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Planning a Week-Long Pheasant Hunting Trip  Rooster Recap

Planning a Week-Long Pheasant Hunting Trip 

Planning a Week-Long Pheasant Hunting Trip  Are you ready to hit the open road with human’s best friend for a week-long upland adventure? Well, you have found the right place for your go-to items and preparations for such a trip.   Over the last 4-5 years, I have been fortunate to have had the chance to […]

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Training Your Dog to Blood-Trail Deer 

Training Your Dog to Blood-Trail Deer 

Training Your Dog to Blood-Trail Deer  If you’re a deer hunter, you know the feeling of not finding a deer. Sometimes the shot is fatal, but the deer has superpowers, and they journey way beyond where they should have expired. There is a chance, the cover and terrain can mislead you or make it seem […]

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Early October Hunting Strategies Iowa’s Deer Forecast 2023-24

Early October Hunting Strategies

Early October Hunting Strategies  It is October and what is not to love? The temperature is right, the sky has an extra tone of blue that we all know indicates the changing of the season, and deer season has now officially kicked off! All in all, things are good.   A lot of ink has been […]

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Featured Story

Iowa Public Land Hunting 

Every hunter wants to know where to go to harvest a great deer.  We often assume that there is some “honey hole” spot out there that a person can always go to and harvest a trophy year after year.  While having hope for that, we are always keeping our ears perked for that privileged information on where the best place to hunt would be.   

Now, let me ask you, if somebody had the perfect spot to hunt where they are harvesting trophy deer year after year, do you think that they would share that information with you?  Probably not.  Unless they are VERY gracious and kind.   

In this article, I will not share any “secret spots” with you who are reading.  Frankly, because I don’t have any secret spots to share!  However, I’ve lived in Iowa long enough to steer you to certain areas of our great state that might give you a great chance to fill a tag this fall and winter.  So let’s begin with some regions of the state to key into. 

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The Iowa Sportsman website and magazine are Iowa’s only privately owned media sources catering to hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts here in Iowa. Simply put, we are unlike other Iowa outdoor media sources: All our staff is from Iowa, from our publisher to our writers. We actually follow through on what we advertise; we provide knowledgeable content from people who know the industry or sport discussed.