The Art of Persuasion: Deer Scents, Rattles, and Bleats 
The Art of Persuasion: Deer Scents, Rattles, and Bleats 

The Art of Persuasion: Deer Scents, Rattles, and Bleats In the 80’s, my father and grandfather were “entry-level” deer hunters.  They had been invited to begin hunting a timber here in central Iowa that had a steady population of deer.  In their efforts to learn more regarding the tactics to use to fool a wise old whitetail, my grandfather and father would douse their boots with fox urine!  It was an effort to hide human scent when they were in the woods.  It goes without saying that those boots were not allowed in the house, ever! There is no doubt […]

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Must-Have Equipment for Iowa Acreages

Must-Have Equipment for Iowa Acreages

Must-Have Equipment for Iowa Acreages As a child, I had what I would consider very typical childhood goals and aspirations. Grow up, have a family, work as a professional athlete, or a doctor, or a lawyer, or a missionary, or a firefighter, or anything else that tickled my fancy for the day. After all, we’re […]

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Safety Reminders for Iowa Hunting Season

Safety Reminders for Iowa Hunting Season

Safety Reminders for a Responsible Iowa Hunting Season Deer hunting is one of the most exciting and rewarding traditions in Iowa, but it also comes with serious responsibilities. Every year, thousands of hunters venture out to pursue whitetails, waterfowl, pheasants, predators, and all sorts of small game too. While success often depends on preparation, knowledge, […]

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Sight In Your Deer Rifle

Sighting In Your Deer Rifle

Sighting In Your Deer Rifle Sighting in a hunting rifle is the bridge between practice range confidence and success in the field; it transforms a rifle from a promising tool to a dependable partner by aligning where your scope or sights indicate the bullet will go with where it actually lands.   Before you load a […]

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A December Pheasant Hunt in Iowa 

A December Pheasant Hunt in Iowa

A December Pheasant Hunt in Iowa The first snow of the season had rolled in overnight, blanketing the rolling hills of north-central Iowa in a clean, white sheet. By sunrise, the thermometer hung just below twenty degrees, making for a December pheasant hunt in Iowa. The crunch of boots on frozen ground echoed through the […]

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Featured Story

Iowa Public Land Hunting 

Every hunter wants to know where to go to harvest a great deer.  We often assume that there is some “honey hole” spot out there that a person can always go to and harvest a trophy year after year.  While having hope for that, we are always keeping our ears perked for that privileged information on where the best place to hunt would be.   

Now, let me ask you, if somebody had the perfect spot to hunt where they are harvesting trophy deer year after year, do you think that they would share that information with you?  Probably not.  Unless they are VERY gracious and kind.   

In this article, I will not share any “secret spots” with you who are reading.  Frankly, because I don’t have any secret spots to share!  However, I’ve lived in Iowa long enough to steer you to certain areas of our great state that might give you a great chance to fill a tag this fall and winter.  So let’s begin with some regions of the state to key into. 

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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.