Check Out Our Current Issue!
In the August 2026 Issue of the Iowa Sportsman
- 7 Ways to Make the Most out of Camping
- October Bowhunting in Iowa
- Fall Walleye Tips & Tricks
- Bug Bites & The Great Outdoors
- Hunting Scrapes & Rublines
- The Way to a Buck’s Heart is Through His Stomach
- August Bass Fishing
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Yellow Bass: Iowans Hate to love Panfish
Yellow Bass: Iowans Hate to love Panfish Iowa has a love-hate relationship with the yellow bass. On one hand they’re plentiful, fun to catch and make delicious table fare. On the other hand, in many instances, they’re an invasive species and out-compete other panfish like crappies and bluegills…even largemouth bass. They are prolific breeders so […]
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Tactics for Targeting Trophy Walleyes in the Fall
Targeting Trophy Walleyes in the Fall There is an old fishing adage that fall is prime time to catch trophy walleyes! For Shane Akin, full time guide in northwest Iowa and owner of Great Lakes Guide Service, that old adage is the truth. “There is no doubt that all gamefish put on the feedbag in […]
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The Cost of Getting into Ice Fishing
The Cost of Getting into Ice Fishing Last year’s pandemic was a boon for people heading to the outdoors. It was the one place that was safe. Fishing numbers and licenses in the state of Iowa were up by over 50 percent. Some were anglers getting back into the sport of fishing, while others were […]
READ MOREImportance of Harvesting Wisely
Importance of Harvesting Wisely Growing up, my deer hunting experiences consisted of the same group of guys gathering early at a farm for opening day of shotgun season. We’d plug in crock pots in the garage which would become the gathering area for the next four or five days as we hunted. A variety of […]
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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.
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.
