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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The Whitetail Rut in Iowa: Whitetails365 Rut Ambush Locations Bucks

The Whitetail Rut in Iowa: Whitetails365

The Whitetail Rut in Iowa: A Week-by-Week Bowhunter’s Guide  The timber was still dark when I slipped into my stand that November morning, the frost crunching under my boots. The kind of morning where you can feel that it’s going to be a good hunt. The woods were electric as the sun came up. Right […]

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Deer Recovery - Increase Your Odds

Deer Recovery – Increase Your Odds

Deer Recovery – Increase Your Odds for Success   In this article we will cover a few quick tips, tricks and lessons learned in reducing wounding rates and increasing your recovery rates.   Proper shot placement   Practice your shot and hone your skills months in advance and make sure all your equipment is in working order.   Make […]

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2025 Iowa Pheasant Outlook

2025 Iowa Pheasant Outlook

2025 Iowa Pheasant Outlook Every fall, Iowa hunters venture out with bird dogs, a couple of friends, and shotguns to pursue pheasants. It’s one of the best times of the year, and for sure a season I always look forward to with high anticipation. Depending on where you’re at, and what day, you might be […]

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Leveraging Weather for Waterfowl 

Leveraging Weather Fronts for Waterfowl 

Leveraging Weather Fronts for Waterfowl  I’ll never forget the time in my twenties when I got to witness a true migration push led by the onset of a nasty weather system. It was late November, and the temps had dropped to near freezing. A northeast wind was firing up, bringing precipitation and sub-freezing temps. The […]

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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.