Check Out Our Current Issue!
Iowa Sportsman January 2025
This Issue Brings You:
- The Growing Threat of Chronic Wasting Disease- What Hunters Need
- Tips for January Coyote Calling
- Plan for Deer Season 2025
- Timber Stand Improvement
- Prescribed Burning
Click Here To View This Issue Now!
Small Spreads Take Limits Too
By: Nick Johnson I can remember the first band I ever shot like it was yesterday. I was hunting by myself at a public marsh in central Iowa. I had scouted the evening before and found there to be a small group of geese coming back to roost after the evening feed, maybe 20 or […]
READ MORECoyotes: Shotgun Style
By: Troy Hoepker We had a coyote up and running just moments earlier, but for the time being, he had seemingly pulled a typical “Houdini” trick on us. Just like they’re so good at doing, this coyote had just disappeared. Grandpa pulled the truck into a field down by the end of a timbered finger […]
READ MORESpawn – Post Spawn Crappie
BY BEN LEAL For Iowan’s all across the State, crappie fishing means that old man winter has finally released his grip for the year and the weather has become seasonably warmer. Days have become increasingly longer, sun warms the soil and the water and nature in general is coming out of a long winters slumber. […]
READ MOREHot Weather Whiskers
By: Nick Johnson In my early cattin’ days I struggled like any beginner trying to succeed. Summer, hot weather catfish would sometimes find their way to my hook but the bites were few and the bigger fish substantially fewer. I found myself pursuing the same tired out presentations and locations with nothing to show. One […]
READ MOREFeatured Story
10 Killer Big Buck Bow Hunting Ambushes
Why do top notch hunters shoot quality mature deer year after year? Sure they scout, don’t shoot young bucks, maintain their land, pay attention to the wind, plant food plots, are in big buck country, ect. Yes all of those and many more reasons can attribute to better chances of shooting bigger bucks consistently. However do you know the most important reason why people shoot big deer year after year? Because they place their stands in locations where big bucks like to frequent…it really is that simple. They are in the right place at the right time. You will never consistently shoot mature deer if you are not putting your tree stands in the proper locations.
Whitetails are creatures of habit and instinct, they do everything for a purpose and that is actually a good thing for us hunters. If we know what they like to do, what they don’t like to do, and how they navigate their day then we can key in on certain geographical locations on our properties and ambush an unsuspecting bruiser.
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.