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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Creating the Right Cover

Creating the Right Cover: Whitetails 365

Creating the Right Cover: Whitetails 365 When I was a teenager, the farm I hunted exclusively was my grandpa’s 120 acres. It was filled with mature maples, oaks, and poplar. There was very little undergrowth, woody browse, or bedding cover. The thing is, I didn’t know it. I had no idea that the habitat was […]

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Chasing Northern Pike on the Ice

Chasing Pike on the Ice

Chasing Pike on the Ice When Chad Loreth moved to the Iowa Great Lakes area in 2005, he knew he was coming to a great year-round fishery. Loreth has enjoyed helping anglers, both veteran and novice, young and old, enjoy the fishery through his guide service, Iowa Great Lakes Outdoors, Inc. As much as he […]

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Ice Fishing Styles and Techniques

Ice Fishing Styles and Techniques

Ice Fishing Styles and Techniques Ice fishing… you mention that to any number of people from the Southern states, and they will look at you like you have lost your mind. I often post images of myself or my family members out on the ice catching any number and variety of fish. A video of […]

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The Genz Fish Trap Turns 40

The Genz Fish Trap Turns 40

The Genz Fish Trap Turns 40 Yes, I am an ice fishing fanatic. Moving to northwest Iowa from South Dakota in 1978, I found an ice fishing mecca like I had never seen before, and I could write a book about my learning curve when it came to finesse fishing. Over the next several years, […]

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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.