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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Calling Coyotes and Bobcats in Iowa

Calling Coyotes and Bobcats in Iowa

Calling Coyotes and Bobcats in Iowa The trail of coyote tracks were as plain as dominoes in the hard packed snow weaving from one point of interest to the next as we followed them to our hunting location. It was clear that a pair of coyotes had hounded their way down this two-track a day […]

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Three Strategies for Whitetail this October

Three Strategies for Whitetail this October: Whitetails 365

Three Strategies for Whitetail this October: Whitetails 365 Whitetails 365, if you haven’t noticed already, is mostly about off season habitat and food plotting. Mixed in are some articles about buying land, or an article mixed in here or there answering reader questions. But October is here now, the season is open. It’s time to […]

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Fishing Big Spirit Lake For The Fall Double Header

Fishing Big Spirit Lake: For The Fall Double Header Fall is always a great time for fishing. The months of September and October offer stretches of mild weather and beautiful colors as the trees turn a myriad of colors, and best of all, the fish are putting on that fall “feed bag” and are on […]

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Strategic Rooster Hunting

Strategic Rooster Hunting If I was asked to identify my greatest weaknesses I would be able to compile an extensive list within a moment, and one item on that list would be grocery shopping. I walk into the store, forget to grab a cart and then begin wandering aimlessly down the aisles waiting for my […]

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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.