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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Introduce Someone New to Fishing

Introduce Someone New To Fishing

Introduce Someone New to Fishing Most of us probably have someone in our lives that took the time to introduce us to fishing. It may have been a grandparent, your Dad or your Mom, or even just a friend that invited you out one day. So the seed was planted, and you’re now an angler. […]

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High School Bass Fishing

High School Bass Fishing Over the past five years there is a growing trend in schools and teenagers across Iowa. No, it isn’t the latest app on a phone or a brand new gaming device, it is bass fishing! While bass fishing at the high school level isn’t anything brand new, the competitive side of […]

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Digital Hunting Maps And How To Use Them

Digital Hunting Maps And How To Use Them It’s crazy to think back ten to fifteen years ago and relive the days when a very important tool for me in terms of hunting was a hard copy of the Iowa Sportsman’s Atlas. I still have that Atlas somewhere tucked away in storage, full of highlighter […]

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Wild Edibles and How To Use Them

Wild Edibles and How To Use Them When COVID hit, the world went crazy! And rightly so. None of us knew what this meant for our population. What was in store for us? Rather, what was NOT in the store for us! I remember going to purchase groceries shortly after lockdowns hit and seeing shelves […]

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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.