Early Spring Trout Fishing
Early Spring Trout Fishing

Early Spring Trout Fishing Spring in Northeast Iowa’s Driftless Region marks the beginning of one of the most rewarding trout fishing seasons in the Midwest. This is one of the prettiest areas in Northern Iowa marked with limestone bluffs, spring-fed creeks, and rolling pastures. The Driftless Region contains a several cold, clear streams that flow steadily year-round. This creates perfect trout habitat, and spring offers fishermen peaceful days on the water. With stable water temperatures, increasing insect activity, and hungry post-winter trout, there’s no better time to explore these legendary streams. Why The Driftless Region? This region is a trout […]

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Getting Started Trapping

Getting Started Trapping The coyote traps went in the ground last year about ten days into November. After seeing lots of sign, and capturing pictures on the trail camera of multiple coyotes traveling through. I finally had a spot that looked promising. A flat set and two dirt hole sets scattered about 40 feet apart […]

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Treestand Safety from an Injured Hunter: Whitetails 365

Treestand Safety from an Injured Hunter: Whitetails 365: A Life Changing Fall:  “You’re so young that I don’t really want to do back surgery, but, be prepared to make some adjustments to how you live your life”. These were the words that were uttered to me by a specialist at Southern Bone and Joint in […]

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5 Lessons Learned while Hunting

5 Lessons Learned while Hunting Imagine this, you take your five year old daughter on a turkey hunt. You forget hearing protection so you tell her that she will need to plug her ears if you take a shot so it won’t be as loud. A big gobbler steps out in front of the blind […]

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Avoiding Paralysis by Analysis During The Rut

Avoiding Paralysis by Analysis During The Rut “Yeah, Staci and Hannah said they saw a big buck bed down with a doe over by the burn pile last night, when they were cruising around on the Ranger. I’m not sure if he’s still there or not…” Those were the words of my friend Brant who […]

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Featured Story

Big Buck Profile: The 2025 Gandy Buck

Ok, this first big buck profile is a little self-serving in that it is of a buck that I personally took this past deer season. While it is likely not the “biggest” big buck that we will profile this year it is definitely one of my most special deer ever.

Turning a Dream into Reality

As has been noted in several articles since 2023, my family and I finally put together the means to purchase our very own piece of Iowa ground. “The 32,” as we call it, has become a passion project to see if we could take an unassuming piece of real estate and harvest a mature deer from there by giving him all he needs in the way of habitat. This year was the first year that the farm would be huntable in the state in which we intended due to construction projects over the past couple of seasons.

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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.