Check Out Our Current Issue!
In the April 2026 Issue of the Iowa Sportsman
- Best Places for Early Season Open Water
- Building a Foundation for the Field
- Range Safety Tips
- Building a Farm Pond to Hold More Wildlife
- Shed Antlers: Do they really tell us anything?
- What Makes a Great Food Plot
- Keeping Kids Engaged in Turkey Hunting
- Pre-Spawn Bass
- Springtime Panfish-Perch, Crappie, and Bluegill
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4 Keys To Being A Good River Angler
4 Keys To Being A Good River Angler Fishing rivers is a different kind of fishing. Some anglers don’t like it yet others love and prefer it. Many river anglers are hard core, hence the term “river rats”. With that distinction questions must be asked, what makes rivers so special and how does one become […]
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Taking Your Inventory
Taking Your Inventory The summer lull is happening and if you are an avid whitetail hunter, I am sure you’re feeling the “cabin fever” like I am. So many of the fall and winter months are spent chasing these graceful creatures in the timber during Iowa’s variety of seasons. When the months are gone, right […]
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Tips for Dove Hunting Success
Tips for Dove Hunting Success Are you ready for it? Iowa’s September 1 mourning dove season is right around the corner. It’s hard to believe that Iowa has had a dove hunting season since 2011. The dove season has definitely become popular with Iowa hunters. Since the season was established, on average 104,000 doves have […]
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Mastering Scent Control Whitetails365
Mastering Scent Control Whitetails365 In the world of whitetail deer hunting, few factors are as critical to success as scent control. When it comes to mature trophy-class whitetail, they live by their nose, and human scent is the most intrusive smell they encounter. Whitetail deer possess an extraordinary sense of smell, estimated to be many times […]
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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.
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.
