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Listen Now! To the Iowa Hunting and Fishing Report

Watch the October 6th Iowa Hunting and Fishing Report!

Fishing: The fall bite is on! Panfish are still biting, the walleye bite is finally starting to pick up too.

Hunting: Congrats to all the youth hunters who were able to fill their tags. Bow season is now open, movement has been okay.

This week's sponsor of the Hunting and Fishing Report is Polk County Conservation's controlled waterfowl hunting program. Waterfowl hunting blinds at Chichaqua Bottoms Greenbelt in NE Polk County can be reserved by calling the Chichaqua office at (515) 323-5395 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The twelve blinds are located in both marsh and woodland settings. Blinds cost $30 per day and hold up to four hunters. Reservations are available for both the early split (October 10 – 16) and late split (Oct. 24 – Nov. 30).

Click here to reserve your blind today!
https://www.polkcountyiowa.gov/conservation/things-to-do/hunting

Iowa Hunting Fishing Report
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Check Out Our Current Issue!

In The Iowa Sportsman December 2026 Issue…

Winter brings fresh opportunities for hunters and anglers, and this issue of Iowa Sportsman has plenty to explore. Follow the trail in Whitetail 365: Tracking Goes to the Dogs, explore December Coyote Hunting, and bring your harvest full circle with How to Process Your Own Venison.

Keep your hunting season going with Hunting the Late Split and Where to Find Late-Season Pheasants in Iowa. For a closer look at your equipment, read Understanding Barrel Lengths, Profiles, and Twist Rates, then help your four-legged hunting partner prepare for colder outings with Winter Safety: Keeping Your Dog Warm.

Ready to trade the field for frozen water? Discover Why Anglers Head North to Devils Lake and explore A Minnesota Winter of Big Fish and Miles of Trails. Round out your winter preparations with Ice Augers for Every Situation and Budget.

Click Here To View This Issue Now!
Prepping for a Puppy

Prepping for a Puppy

Prepping for a Puppy Theo was the softball sized, orange and white Britt pup we fell in love with. He was only six weeks old then- not quite to the recommended eight weeks for adopting him away from the care of his mama, “Belle.” So after sighing deeply with puppy-smitten adoration, we snapped a few […]

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Chasing Nighttime Fish

Chasing Nighttime Fish

Chasing Nighttime Fish How’s this for fishing the first night of this past Walleye Opener on West Okoboji? Six walleyes 15-16 inches, another 12 walleyes in the slot from 17-22 inches, 5 walleyes over the slot with the largest at 25 inches. Oh, and a 22.5-inch/7-pound 4-ounce trophy smallmouth! Not a bad night’s work, I’d […]

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Deer Cues to Look For

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Deer Cues to Look For Everybody likes a good hint when they need it right? Remember back in your schooldays when the teacher said, “I’ll give you a hint?” When I heard that phrase, I would zero in to what she was going to say next. I did not want to miss anything that might […]

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Tips for Fishing in Hot Temps

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Tips for Fishing in Hot Temps The average summertime temperatures in Iowa are between 82°F and 87°F, and mid-day temperatures often touch 90° to 100°F throughout the state. Not to terrible…right? With humidity levels easily reaching over 70 percent, it can make an outdoor enthusiast think twice before heading to the open water. Even worse, […]

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Featured Story

A Classic Evening with an Iowa Giant – Bowhunting Boone & Crockett Bucks

Does a plan ever fall into place the way it should? The months leading up to October and November are filled with daydreams of target bucks making their way in front of our stands. Perfect conditions, with a shooter buck coming in on a string, setting up for perfect shot placement. If only that was how it worked… but that wouldn’t be as rewarding, would it?

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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.