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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Walleye Fishing in Iowa

Walleye Fishing in Iowa Ask any freshwater angler what is a sought-after fish for table fare, and you’ll get a resounding response, “walleye.” Sure, crappie and bluegill will come up in that conversation as well, but walleye, by far, will always be on that list. The common name, “walleye,” comes from the fact that their […]

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Springtime Turkey Hunting in Iowa

Springtime Turkey Hunting in Iowa There is conceivably nothing in nature that can build the anticipation for the hunt that is about to take place more than the sound of multiple gobblers sounding off from nearby trees in the predawn darkness. Perhaps only bull elk rival the audible experience of the way tom turkeys announce […]

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How Not To Shed Hunt

How Not To Shed Hunt I once heard a sports radio host ask the question, “Would it be easier to fill out a March Madness bracket by selecting the teams you think will lose instead of the teams you think will win?”He had an interesting hypothesis that still has yet to yield me any major […]

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Walleye Length Changes Coming in 2022

Walleye Length Changes Coming in 2022 When you catch a walleye in Iowa, there’s a good chance that the fish got its start in one of Iowa’s walleye hatcheries. Since walleye often don’t reproduce naturally in the state’s inland rivers and lakes, their populations must be maintained through the Iowa DNR’s stocking program. The hundreds […]

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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.