Check Out Our Current Issue!

In this Issue of The Iowa Sportsman August 2025:
-
- 5 Low Tech Hacks for Soft Plastics and Bass
- Fall Fishing in Iowa
- Dove Opener Countdown
- Unlocking the Secrets of Extended-Range Accuracy
- The Status of Mountain Lions in Iowa
- Saddle Hunting for those who Say they Never will
- Optimal Stand Placement
- The Triton Buck – A Rut Story
- Get Your Weapon Ready for Deer Season
Click Here To View This Issue Now!
Avoiding Disasters With Your Gundog! – Podcast
READ MOREA Bowhunters’ Backpack: Don’t Leave Home Without These Items!
A Bowhunters’ Backpack: Don’t Leave Home Without These Items! By Shawn and Kristi O’Connor Louis Pasteur, the brilliant 19th century French chemist and inventor of pasteurization, coined the phrase, “fortune favors the prepared mind.” What does that have to do with a bowhunters backpack? Well, lets just say I spent a good number […]
READ MORETroutin’ About in Iowa
Troutin’ About in Iowa Use the word “trout” and “Iowa” in the same sentence and you’ll definitely get some funny looks. Trout are rarely the first fish that comes to mind when most think of Iowa. Fish more typically thought of, as “Iowa fish” are bluegills, catfish, largemouth bass, white bass and crappies. I never […]
READ MOREIowa Sportsman Fishing Trip: Lake Rathbun
Iowa Sportsman Fishing Trip: Lake Rathbun By Clayton Will However you say it; Rathbun Lake or Lake Rathbun, it’s a must see Iowa Family Fishing Trip Destination. At 11,000 acres Lake Rathbun is easily Iowa’s largest body of water not called a river or stream. Nestled in Appanoose County Lake Rathbun is a popular spot […]
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.