Iowa’s Venom, Oil and Toxic Sap
Iowa’s Venom, Oil and Toxic Sap

I once struck up a conversation with a man from Australia and while talking I asked him the question most people want to know about Australians, “how many times have you been bitten by one of your crazy spiders you have down there?” His answer was shocking, “Oh not many, probably less than 20 times.”

I once struck up a conversation with a man from Australia and while talking I asked him the question most people want to know about Australians, “how many times have you been bitten by one of your crazy spiders you have down there?” His answer was shocking, “Oh not many, probably less than 20 times.” My coworker and I laughed in horror and amazement and counted our blessing of living in the relatively venom free state of Iowa.

I once struck up a conversation with a man from Australia and while talking I asked him the question most people want to know about Australians, “how many times have you been bitten by one of your crazy spiders you have down there?” His answer was shocking, “Oh not many, probably less than 20 times.” My coworker and I laughed in horror and amazement and counted our blessing of living in the relatively venom free state of Iowa. But only relatively venom free, within Iowa’s borders there are a handful of flora and fauna that if encountered can leave an unlucky Iowan itchy, burning, swollen, scarred and in the worst of scenarios, permanently incapacitated or dead.

Dangerous Plants and Animals in Iowa

Check Out Our Current Issue!

September Fishing Tips and Patterns

September Fishing Tips

September Fishing Tips: How to Catch Fish During the ‘Tweener Month’ Transition So, here we are.  You’ve made it through your first summer of serious research and development concerning your progress in the art of angling and now, instead of getting better, things seem to be getting worse as results go and the days are getting […]

READ MORE

Top Broadheads 2018 ATA Show

Top 5 Broadheads From the 2018 ATA Show

https://youtu.be/a0l8qUzktp8 READ MORE

Top Five Flathead Catfish Baits

Top Five Flathead Baits

Top Five Flathead Baits In the world of catfishing it seems we hear about the mighty blue cat or the abundant channel cat more often than their big cousins with bad attitudes, the flathead. Ok, the flathead is pretty popular too. The anglers who love flatheads seem to have an addiction for catfish that is […]

READ MORE

Presentations to Catch Bass

Three Surefire Presentations to Catch Bass Through the Ice

Three Surefire Presentations to Catch Bass Through the Ice Many ice fishermen around central Iowa spend the winter months targeting panfish through the ice. I am no exception; I love to catch big bull bluegills and slab crappies as much as the next person.  Panfish are more than willing to bite during the winter and […]

READ MORE

Featured Story

Springtime Panfish-Perch, Crappie, and Bluegill

Spring is in full swing here in Iowa, and what can be more pleasant a reminder than the sound of birds, the sight of flowers blooming, and the feel of a warm afternoon? I can think of at least one more thing…Panfish!

I can remember it like yesterday, our family would all meet up at the lake house. There was work to do. The yard was to be picked up, the cabin cleaned, and the dock had to be put in. But then, after the work was finished, it was time for all of us cousins to fish! We would all go out to the garage to pick out a few old rods and tie on a hook and sinker as best we could.

The next order of business was to hunt for worms. Flipping anything that we could find stuck in the ground in hopes of just finding a few crawlers. Once the bait was secured, we were ready to fish. We would go out on the dock and cast, vertical jig, and even troll along the side of the dock. We usually did pretty well use those tactics, but my all-time favorite was walking along the rocks on shore and dropping the bait down every little crevice, not knowing what was going to come up next.

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.