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 […]

Read more

Check Out Our Current Issue!

Springtime Spawning

Springtime Spawning

Springtime Spawning Largemouth bass are a worldwide favorite sport fish, and, luckily for Iowans, they can find them all over the state. In fact, the Iowa DNR currently reports the presence of these bass in over 500 lakes and streams. So it comes as no surprise that warm temperatures lead many of Iowa’s dedicated fishermen […]

READ MORE

Farm Ponds at their Finest

Farm Ponds at their Finest Fishing in Iowa is a diverse experience. Two heavyweight rivers set the borders on the East and West banks where 100 pound flatheads and extraterrestrial looking paddlefish wait for willing anglers. Flowing in stark contrast to those monstrous border waters are the pristine cold water creeks of the driftless northeast […]

READ MORE

Preparing Your Boat for the Season

Preparing Your Boat for the Season Hopefully the spring fishing season has treated you well here in the great state of Iowa. I have been out many times traveling through the state with a boat in tow. No matter if you have a 12-foot jon boat, or a 21-foot fiberglass boat. Boating season is just […]

READ MORE

Whitetails 365: Protecting Grain Food Plots

Whitetails 365: Protecting Grain Food Plots Why? Why would any hunter want to protect or fence off a food plot so that deer can’t get in? Sounds counter to every reason a hunter would plant a food plot to begin with. And while it’s absolutely true keeping deer from getting into your food plots might […]

READ MORE

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. 

READ FULL STORY

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.