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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Learning to Fly Fish Iowa

Learning to Fly Fish Iowa

Learning to Fly Fish Iowa When you think fly fishing, I’ll bet you picture mountains, streams and waders – at least I do. However, some excellent opportunities exist right here in Iowa. All Iowans have access to either public or private ponds or lakes. When ponds or lakes are calm and the surface is glassy, […]

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Food Plots 101: Knowing Food Plot Basics

Food Plots 101: Knowing Food Plot Basics Food plots can be a big part of hunting here in Iowa for many reasons. Do you absolutely need to have a food plot to have success hunting? No. Would a food plot be a tool in your arsenal for deer and turkey? Absolutely! If you have the […]

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Hunter Education It’s More Than Just a Class

Hunter Education It’s More Than Just a Class Hunting is special in that it can be a solo sport, or you can get a few friends together and enjoy the outdoor experiences together. Some people are forced to hunt alone due to safety, or the lack there of, from others. Walking with a gun pointed […]

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Bring The Great Outdoors, Inside. Beat The Heat!

Bring The Great Outdoors, inside. Beat The Heat! I have every reason to list summer as my favorite season. It serves as my respite from a year of long weeks in the classroom as a science teacher. My birthday is in early August. My family usually takes a cross country vacation, plus all of the […]

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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.