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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Crow Calling March Madness

Crow Calling March Madness As the upland and deer seasons fade in the rear view mirror hunters are left with the question of, “What are we going to hunt now?” Coyotes are always on the radar this time of year but if you prefer wing shooting, there is one wise and crafty adversary flying around […]

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Basics of Shed Antler Hunting: An art of logic, luck and long walks

Basics of Shed Antler Hunting: An art of logic, luck and long walks Christmas gifts are excellent indicators of what makes a person tick. Allow me to explain. Most people would probably identify themselves as fitting into one of these three categories: havers, experiencers, and those who fall into both categories. If you were tasked […]

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New Bows for 2021

New Bows for 2021 The archery industry has witnessed a plethora of improvements, especially in the last 30 years. These changes have caught the attention of more and more archers and has aided to the popularity of archery and bow hunting. 2021 is still welcoming innovations to the archery world. Some of the technology we […]

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Henry’s First Turkey Hunt Part 1

Henry’s First Turkey Hunt Part 1 “Shoot him when you’re ready” I said to my son Henry on that warm spring evening. The gobbler stopped 10 yards from our blind and froze. It seemed like hours before Henry pulled the trigger, leaving me time to recall all the preparations and practice that lead to this […]

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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.