The Art of Persuasion: Deer Scents, Rattles, and Bleats 
The Art of Persuasion: Deer Scents, Rattles, and Bleats 

The Art of Persuasion: Deer Scents, Rattles, and Bleats In the 80’s, my father and grandfather were “entry-level” deer hunters.  They had been invited to begin hunting a timber here in central Iowa that had a steady population of deer.  In their efforts to learn more regarding the tactics to use to fool a wise old whitetail, my grandfather and father would douse their boots with fox urine!  It was an effort to hide human scent when they were in the woods.  It goes without saying that those boots were not allowed in the house, ever! There is no doubt […]

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Make the most out of Spring Turkey Season

How to Find Spring Turkeys

How to Find Spring Turkeys There have been many times throughout my turkey hunting years that I have heard the phrase “There aren’t any turkeys on my ground”, or “I only see turkeys when I’m deer hunting, but never in the spring”.  In my early years I never thought much about it when people said […]

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Fishing Iowa in March

Fishing Iowa in March

WHAT TO TARGET FOR MARCH The month of March is characterized by rapidly rising daily high temperatures, with daily highs increasing from 41 deg to 56 deg over the month. Southern reaches of the State will likely have open water by the end of March, if not sooner. Central Iowa will have fishable ice, depending […]

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How to Revitalize a Pond

How to Revitalize a Pond

How to Revitalize a Pond A well-maintained pond can be the heart of a landscape, providing a serene retreat for nature enthusiasts and a thriving habitat for fish and wildlife. However, as time goes by, ponds can lose their luster. Water quality may diminish, fish populations can become unbalanced, and invasive species may take over. […]

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Leveraging Prairie to Improve Habitat

Leveraging Prairie to Improve Habitat

Leveraging Prairie to Improve Habitat As I write this I am winding down for the evening after surviving an ice crusted day of freezing rain. A unique phenomenon my friend Luke Fritch and I have noticed on such days is the presence of pheasants near our houses as the ice glazes over all of the […]

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Featured Story

Iowa Public Land Hunting 

Every hunter wants to know where to go to harvest a great deer.  We often assume that there is some “honey hole” spot out there that a person can always go to and harvest a trophy year after year.  While having hope for that, we are always keeping our ears perked for that privileged information on where the best place to hunt would be.   

Now, let me ask you, if somebody had the perfect spot to hunt where they are harvesting trophy deer year after year, do you think that they would share that information with you?  Probably not.  Unless they are VERY gracious and kind.   

In this article, I will not share any “secret spots” with you who are reading.  Frankly, because I don’t have any secret spots to share!  However, I’ve lived in Iowa long enough to steer you to certain areas of our great state that might give you a great chance to fill a tag this fall and winter.  So let’s begin with some regions of the state to key into. 

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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.