Iowa’s Venom, Oil and Toxic Sap
Iowa’s Venom, Oil and Toxic Sap

I once struck up a conversation with a man from Australia and while talking I asked him the question most people want to know about Australians, “how many times have you been bitten by one of your crazy spiders you have down there?” His answer was shocking, “Oh not many, probably less than 20 times.”

I once struck up a conversation with a man from Australia and while talking I asked him the question most people want to know about Australians, “how many times have you been bitten by one of your crazy spiders you have down there?” His answer was shocking, “Oh not many, probably less than 20 times.” My coworker and I laughed in horror and amazement and counted our blessing of living in the relatively venom free state of Iowa.

I once struck up a conversation with a man from Australia and while talking I asked him the question most people want to know about Australians, “how many times have you been bitten by one of your crazy spiders you have down there?” His answer was shocking, “Oh not many, probably less than 20 times.” My coworker and I laughed in horror and amazement and counted our blessing of living in the relatively venom free state of Iowa. But only relatively venom free, within Iowa’s borders there are a handful of flora and fauna that if encountered can leave an unlucky Iowan itchy, burning, swollen, scarred and in the worst of scenarios, permanently incapacitated or dead.

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Dangerous Plants and Animals in Iowa

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Waterfowl Hunting Iowa

Waterfowl Hunting Iowa

Opening day of Iowa’s waterfowl season is more than just a date; it’s a revered tradition for hunters. It embodies the exhilaration of the pursuit and, of course, feeding our families from the wild. Yet, no one seeks to spend a crisp morning gazing at an empty expanse of sky. Success hinges on meticulous planning […]

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Treestand Safety

By Jacob Dean September is Treestand Safety Month. If you’re an avid Iowa hunter, chances are high that you hunt out of a treestand. Treestand hunting gives us advantages, but it comes with some risks. Falls from treestands are a leading cause of serious injury and death among hunters. Estimates for fatalities from tree stand […]

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CWD and EHD in Iowa

Challenges posed by CWD and ED As conservationists and hunters, we are deeply invested in the health and sustainability of our wild deer population. Our deer face significant threats from emerging and spreading diseases like Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD). While directly treating individual wild animals on a large scale isn’t […]

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Shooting Drills for Opening Day Dove & Teal

Shooting Drills for Opening Day Dove & Teal

Shooting Drills for Opening Day Dove & Teal As summer days get shorter and the first hints of autumn appear, we have two seasons approaching: Iowa’s dove and early teal seasons. These are two of the earliest and most challenging wing shooting opportunities for hunters. While doves may seem like small targets, their erratic flight […]

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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.

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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.