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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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 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
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 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
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.
