Early Spring Trout Fishing
Early Spring Trout Fishing

Early Spring Trout Fishing Spring in Northeast Iowa’s Driftless Region marks the beginning of one of the most rewarding trout fishing seasons in the Midwest. This is one of the prettiest areas in Northern Iowa marked with limestone bluffs, spring-fed creeks, and rolling pastures. The Driftless Region contains a several cold, clear streams that flow steadily year-round. This creates perfect trout habitat, and spring offers fishermen peaceful days on the water. With stable water temperatures, increasing insect activity, and hungry post-winter trout, there’s no better time to explore these legendary streams. Why The Driftless Region? This region is a trout […]

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Using UTV's on your acreage The Ins and Outs of ATV Ownership

Using UTV’s on your Acreage

  One of my favorite musings about human behavior is found in the innovations of Utility Terrain Vehicles (UTVs). What began as a two or three seater ATV with a dump bed on the back rapidly evolved into vehicles with powered windows, HVAC systems, sound systems and a stretched chassis with enough seating to accommodate […]

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Summer Hunter's Checklist Timber Stand Improvement The Wild Past of Iowa

Whitetails 365: Summer Hunter’s Checklist

Whitetails 365: Summer Hunter’s Checklist For most Iowans, this time of year is time for barbecues, swimming pools, and lazy afternoons. But for a hunter, our brains are keyed in on hunting, and we’re continuously thinking about how we can improve our land and get ready for deer season 2025. Use this time as a […]

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How to Break Bad Archery Habits

How to Break Bad Archery Habits Several years ago, I used to go to several archery shoots through the summer. It was a time to hone-in my archery skills, relax, and prepare for the upcoming archery season. For me, archery is my passion and summer is a prime time for preparation, and to sharpen archery […]

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Spring Walleye in Iowa

Spring Walleye in Iowa

  Spring Walleye in Iowa As winter begins to lose its hold on much of Iowa, anglers focus on spring fishing throughout the state. For the most part, by April, ice has all but left the lakes, and there is an influx of freshwater bringing in nutrients as well as tasty morsels in the form […]

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Featured Story

Big Buck Profile: The 2025 Gandy Buck

Ok, this first big buck profile is a little self-serving in that it is of a buck that I personally took this past deer season. While it is likely not the “biggest” big buck that we will profile this year it is definitely one of my most special deer ever.

Turning a Dream into Reality

As has been noted in several articles since 2023, my family and I finally put together the means to purchase our very own piece of Iowa ground. “The 32,” as we call it, has become a passion project to see if we could take an unassuming piece of real estate and harvest a mature deer from there by giving him all he needs in the way of habitat. This year was the first year that the farm would be huntable in the state in which we intended due to construction projects over the past couple of seasons.

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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.