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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!
Shed Antler Hunting Insights

Shed Antlers: Do they really tell us anything?

Shed Antlers: Do they really tell us anything? March 5, 2021 was a very special day in my time spent afield. I had taken a walk through the timber to “get out of my own head” and to decompress from a long work week. I was looking for shed antlers which was an activity that […]

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Building A Farm Pond

Building a Farm Pond to Hold More Wildlife

Building a Farm Pond to Hold More Wildlife Iowa isn’t known for vast hydrological opportunities, but most people who grew up in rural parts of the state are familiar with farm ponds. Whether it’s fond memories of catching bass and bluegill on a hot summer day or watching cattle wade in to cool off, most […]

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gun range shooting

Range Safety Tips

Range Safety Tips In 2002, I was twelve years old when my parents signed me up for a hunter’s safety program. By then, I had already spent plenty of time tagging along behind my dad and uncles, trailing through timber, listening watching, and soaking up everything I could. Hunting had a way of grabbing hold […]

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Building a Foundation for Gundogs

Building a Foundation for the Field

Building a Foundation for the Field Anymore, “basic” seems to have a bad rap. It isn’t glamorous. It doesn’t make the highlight reels. It’s often the thing we ignore, rush, or cheat. It seems lame. With a clearer perspective, we can see the value of “basic”. It’s what brings the glam to glamorous. It’s the […]

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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?

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.