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 […]

Read more

Check Out Our Current Issue!

Three Late Season Turkey Hunting Tips

Three Late Season Turkey Hunting Tips

Three Late Season Turkey Hunting Tips Gobblers are silent, don’t respond to decoys or calls, have been breeding and fighting, and have been pressured and shot at by hunters for over a month now. If you thought early season turkey hunting was tough then welcome to late season turkey hunting! However with all those difficulties […]

READ MORE
Visit Boone County Iowa Tips for Better Trolling Success

Tips for Better Trolling Success

Tips for Better Trolling Success One of the favorite presentations for walleyes is trolling. Whether it’s pulling Lindy rigs, spinners or crankbaits, all three are fish catchers. However, it’s more that simply throwing out the bait and taking off. This kind of trolling is a “by guess/by gosh game plan”. No, to be successful with […]

READ MORE

The History of the Fur Trade in Iowa: Part One

The History of the Fur Trade in Iowa: Part One Picture it in your imagination if you possibly can? The year is 1685 and after painstakingly securing supplies and food your trek began in Montreal. Once ready, you managed to navigate the waters of the Ottawa River until it opened wide into the cold waters […]

READ MORE
Hunting Turkeys on Public Ground

Hunting Turkeys on Public Ground

Hunting Turkeys on Public Ground Your season has come and you are rearing to go! You have a tag in your pocket and the itch to get out in the timber and chase some big Iowa Easterns. The gun is dusted off, you have the ammo, the camo, and the eagerness for another hunting turkeys […]

READ MORE

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.

READ FULL STORY

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.