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Wolves in Iowa: Then and Now
Wolves in Iowa: Then and Now By Troy Hoepker Minnesota and Wisconsin wolf populations have grown to numbers not seen in over a century when they were nearly hunted and trapped out of existence in the lower 48 states. Each of our neighbors to the north had their first controversial wolf hunting seasons in 2012 […]
READ MOREGeographical Whitetail Hideouts and Travel Corridors (Part 1)
Geographical Whitetail Hideouts and Travel Corridors (Part 1) By Jason Smith It’s late-September. You’ve got all of your hunting gear organized and ready to go. Your clothes are clean and scent free, and your boots are well broken in and waterproofed. You’ve spent hours upon hours dialing in your bow and honing your shooting skills […]
READ MORETrolling for Walleyes over the Weeds
Trolling for Walleyes over the Weeds By Steve Weisman Last August, I had the chance to listen to Jon Thelen, walleye guide and host of Lindy’s Fish Ed Television Series, give a fishing seminar at the Okoboji Blue Water Festival. His topic was “Walleyes in the Weeds,” and I was excited to hear what his […]
READ MOREIdentifying Catfish Locations From Shore
Identifying Catfish Locations From Shore By Brad Durick These days, as catfishing gets more and more press, and more and more technical, it seems that some of the conversation has shifted from the traditional way of doing things. We read about drifting vast lake flats for giant blue cats or using high end side imaging […]
READ MOREFeatured Story
Introducing Youth to Shooting Sports
I can still remember the day my mom told me we had to watch the next episode of “Buckmasters TV.” Being an oblivious five-year-old, you can only imagine how excited I was to see my picture pop up as their weekly winner of a FREE Buckmasters Daisy Model 840 BB gun. Bubba and Shotgun Red announced my name, and I was the proud new owner of my very first firearm.
I ran to meet the mail carrier every day to check for that long cardboard box. Watching “Buckmasters” with my parents fed my enthusiasm for the outdoors, but I was already obsessed with all things related to shooting at an early age. That BB gun gave me so much more than a tool to shoot targets with. It gave my parents an opportunity to teach me about gun safety. It gave me my first memories of being in the woods, tagging along with my dad and his .22 chasing squirrels and rabbits. It gave me another way to spend time with my younger sisters when they began to learn about gun safety. Most importantly, it sparked a lifelong love for hunting and target shooting.
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.