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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Top 10 Public Land Bowhunting Spots in Iowa 

Top 10 Public Land Bowhunting Spots in Iowa 

Top 10 Public Land Bowhunting Spots in Iowa  By far, the best part of living in Iowa is the trophy-class deer hunting we have. Iowa has long been recognized as the top destination for whitetail deer hunting, and every year, Iowans consistently see and shoot world-class trophy bucks. Iowa’s vast public lands offer some good […]

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Shooting Optics for the Iowa Hunter 

Shooting Optics for the Iowa Hunter 

Shooting Optics for the Iowa Hunter  Deer season is finally upon us! Whether it’s youth season, early muzzleloader, or if you want to get a jump-start for the December gun seasons, you should begin to get a game plan gathered for your shooting optics. Among the most critical pieces of equipment are your optics, from […]

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Planning a Week-Long Pheasant Hunting Trip  Rooster Recap

Planning a Week-Long Pheasant Hunting Trip 

Planning a Week-Long Pheasant Hunting Trip  Are you ready to hit the open road with human’s best friend for a week-long upland adventure? Well, you have found the right place for your go-to items and preparations for such a trip.   Over the last 4-5 years, I have been fortunate to have had the chance to […]

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Training Your Dog to Blood-Trail Deer 

Training Your Dog to Blood-Trail Deer 

Training Your Dog to Blood-Trail Deer  If you’re a deer hunter, you know the feeling of not finding a deer. Sometimes the shot is fatal, but the deer has superpowers, and they journey way beyond where they should have expired. There is a chance, the cover and terrain can mislead you or make it seem […]

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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.