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!

Ice Fishing Must Haves

Things That Ruin Ice Fishing Success

Things That Ruin Ice Fishing Success Ice fishing has been a passion of mine since 1990, it doesn’t seem possible, but the allure of cutting a hole in the ice to catch fish gets my blood pumping every winter. Growing up during my school days I eagerly awaited Sundays when we would trek out to […]

READ MORE

What I’ve Learned from Coyote Hunting

 What I’ve Learned from Coyote Hunting The first coyote I ever called in gave me the slip. I’m sure most hunters would share that the first coyote that magically appeared to their calling efforts made a similar escape. Calling them is one thing…….killing them is sometimes another thing entirely. Coyotes have the innate ability to […]

READ MORE

After The Season

After The Season: What you can do Now to be Successful Next Fall January 10th has come and gone leaving us the lull of a few winter months with nothing to pursue outdoors. At this point, you could stay inside and watch the sun rise and fall. You could watch the ever-slowing hands of the […]

READ MORE

Chasing Late Season Bluegills In Clear Water

Chasing Late Season Bluegills In Clear Water For years and years ice fishermen from across the Midwest have headed to northwest Iowa’s West Lake Okoboji to sight fish the finicky bluegills which West Okoboji is famous for. Late ice toward the end of February and into March can be incredible. Once in a while, for […]

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.