Iowa’s Venom, Oil and Toxic Sap
Iowa’s Venom, Oil and Toxic Sap

I once struck up a conversation with a man from Australia and while talking I asked him the question most people want to know about Australians, “how many times have you been bitten by one of your crazy spiders you have down there?” His answer was shocking, “Oh not many, probably less than 20 times.”

I once struck up a conversation with a man from Australia and while talking I asked him the question most people want to know about Australians, “how many times have you been bitten by one of your crazy spiders you have down there?” His answer was shocking, “Oh not many, probably less than 20 times.” My coworker and I laughed in horror and amazement and counted our blessing of living in the relatively venom free state of Iowa.

I once struck up a conversation with a man from Australia and while talking I asked him the question most people want to know about Australians, “how many times have you been bitten by one of your crazy spiders you have down there?” His answer was shocking, “Oh not many, probably less than 20 times.” My coworker and I laughed in horror and amazement and counted our blessing of living in the relatively venom free state of Iowa. But only relatively venom free, within Iowa’s borders there are a handful of flora and fauna that if encountered can leave an unlucky Iowan itchy, burning, swollen, scarred and in the worst of scenarios, permanently incapacitated or dead.

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Dangerous Plants and Animals in Iowa

Check Out Our Current Issue!

A Guide to Trophy Harvest Photography

Oh Snap! A Guide to Trophy Harvest Photography On the coffee table of the deer camp back home in Mississippi lies one of the books that I cherish the most. The contents of that book are completely original and are likely only valued by those who are company of that camp. Documentation of years dating […]

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Buying Whitetail Hunting Land

Whitetails 365: Buying Recreational Land, Part 2

Whitetails 365: Buying Recreational Land, Part 2 In last month’s issue, I was purposefully vague in beginning to break down what it takes to be successful in buying recreational land. I hope as you read the article, you were starting to pull together a plan of your own if you are starting the process of […]

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Planning a Switchgrass Planting Gathering Summer Intel for Fall Bowhunting

Planning a Switchgrass Planting: Whitetails 365

Planning a Switchgrass Planting: Whitetails 365 A switchgrass planting (warm season grass) is the fastest way I know of to create a visual barrier or security cover. And unlike other plantings, it is long lasting. A switchgrass planting can last for many years, is relatively maintenance free once established, and is fairly inexpensive to establish. […]

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Fishing New Water Under The Ice

Fishing New Water Under The Ice One of the challenges we all face, whether you’re fishing from a boat or standing on the ice on a new body of water, the question becomes, “where do we fish?” With the advent of modern technology, and much of it portable now, we can make some very educated […]

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Featured Story

Springtime Panfish-Perch, Crappie, and Bluegill

Spring is in full swing here in Iowa, and what can be more pleasant a reminder than the sound of birds, the sight of flowers blooming, and the feel of a warm afternoon? I can think of at least one more thing…Panfish!

I can remember it like yesterday, our family would all meet up at the lake house. There was work to do. The yard was to be picked up, the cabin cleaned, and the dock had to be put in. But then, after the work was finished, it was time for all of us cousins to fish! We would all go out to the garage to pick out a few old rods and tie on a hook and sinker as best we could.

The next order of business was to hunt for worms. Flipping anything that we could find stuck in the ground in hopes of just finding a few crawlers. Once the bait was secured, we were ready to fish. We would go out on the dock and cast, vertical jig, and even troll along the side of the dock. We usually did pretty well use those tactics, but my all-time favorite was walking along the rocks on shore and dropping the bait down every little crevice, not knowing what was going to come up next.

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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.