Check Out Our Current Issue!

Iowa Sportsman April 2025
This Issue Brings You:
- Chasing Spring Thunder: Turkey Hunting
- Maximize UTV & ATVs – On Your Acreage
- Whitetails 365 – Hunters Pre-Season Checklist
- Brea Bad Habits For Archery Success
- Fishing Iowa – Walleye Tackle & Tricks
- Shooting Corner: Safety Gear & Safe Practices
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Hot 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 […]
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High Water Channel Catfish Magic
High water in rivers is one of the scariest situations many catfish anglers have to deal with. Not just water that is higher than normal but water that is near or above flood stage. Many catfish anglers choose to stay home and wait for a better day. Only a few understand the magic that awaits […]
READ MOREFlatheads: Beyond Traditional
By Nick Johnson When one talks beyond traditional methods for catching fish, your mind will conjure up ideas of a new trick or an innovative tactic. A tactic that may be guarded secretly by those who practice the technique with wild success. When the words – flathead catfish – are mixed in with this talk, […]
READ MOREFall Flatheads: Coming Out of the Woodwork
By Nick Johnson The fall cool water period is argued by many hard core cat anglers as the best time of year to catch numbers of big flatheads. Daily movements increase and a virtual feeding binge takes place in the flathead community. Simply put, any cat angler looking to catch a plus sized mudcat should […]
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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.