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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Bismuth Shot Fundamentals

Bismuth Shot Fundamentals Around the time I was born, lead shot used in waterfowl hunting began to be phased out. I vaguely recall my dad and grandpas grumbling about the lesser performance of steel shot for a few years preceding when I was old enough to know what duck hunting was. Nonetheless, this was the […]

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Things to Consider When Purchasing a Crossbow

What to Consider When Purchasing a Crossbow We are fortunate to be able to live and hunt world-class whitetails in the state of Iowa. A few things contribute to the trophy class deer such as agriculture production, wildlife research, and hunting rules and regulations set by the Iowa DNR. The state of Iowa has done […]

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How to Hunt Iowa Wildlife

How to Hunt Iowa’s Wildlife

How to Hunt Iowa’s Wildlife I am a chronically late person. Church services, family gatherings, meeting up with hunting buddies, even this article is coming down to the wire on the due date. Besides the self-loathing for my poor time management, I worry that others who may notice my frequent tardiness will assess that it […]

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Getting Ready for the 2021 Duck Season

Getting Ready for the 2021 Duck Season

Getting Ready for the 2021 Duck Hunting Season When it comes to hunting and fishing, we all are at the mercy of Mother Nature. Cold fronts, pressure systems, winds, heavy rains, lack of rain…they all affect our hunting and fishing. However, I think that duck hunters are most at the mercy of Mother Nature. Year […]

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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.