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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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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Summer Skin Care

Summer Skin Care My friend grabbed his hat before we ventured outside. I’m used to seeing him without a hat, so this was a little different routine. I must have had a confused look on my face, because he began to explain a meeting he had with his physician, warning him of his increased risk […]

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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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Created By Iowans, For Iowans

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.