Check Out Our Current Issue!
In this issue of the Iowa Sportsman October 2025
- 5 Easy Mistakes to Make Fly Fishing for Trout in the Fall
- 10 Beginner Tips for Hunting Iowa Geese
- Deer Scents and Lures
- Early October Hunting Strategies
- Training your Dog to Blood-trail Deer
- Planning a Weeklong Pheasant Trip
- Shooting Optics for the Iowa Hunter
- Top 10 Bowhunting Destinations
- Whitetails 365: Mastering Scent Control
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Best Archery Sets: Part 1
Best Archery Sets: Part 1 By Tim Peplinksi The lion share of my scouting, scheming, and planning takes place each year in late winter or spring. My mind is always thinking about my hunting grounds and how I can improve them. With each idea though it requires an in person approach (out on the land) […]
READ MOREWeather the Ice: How Weather affects Ice Fishing
Weather the Ice: How Weather affects Ice Fishing By Nick Johnson Most of us only think of weather and how it affects fish behavior in terms of open water. Up until recent years I gave little to no thought about weather patterns and fishing strategies on the ice. Shame on me for neglecting such factors […]
READ MORESnow Geese: The Bonus Season!
Snow Geese: The Bonus Season! By Ryan Eder This season we have examined what it takes to be successful hunting Canada geese; from decoy spreads to the time of the year and everything in between on how to strategize for success in the field. Snow geese present many of the same challenges, along with additional […]
READ MOREThe New Craze: Catfish through the Ice
The New Craze: Catfish through the Ice By Brad Durick These days as winter sets in the angling crowd move into one of two camps. The crowd that locks themselves in the house for months and the crowd that gets excited for the cold weather fishing season. In the southern states over the past decade […]
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Featured Story
The Art of Persuasion: Deer Scents, Rattles, and Bleats
In the 80’s, my father and grandfather were “entry-level” deer hunters. They had been invited to begin hunting a timber here in central Iowa that had a steady population of deer. In their efforts to learn more regarding the tactics to use to fool a wise old whitetail, my grandfather and father would douse their boots with fox urine! It was an effort to hide human scent when they were in the woods. It goes without saying that those boots were not allowed in the house, ever!
There is no doubt that in the last 40 years, there has been quite a bit of advancement when it comes to hunting whitetails. Knowing more about deer behavior, hunting scents, better tree stands, better bows, guns, and so much more.
I fear that somebody desiring to get into hunting in the current culture could be a bit overwhelmed with all the information and tools that are out there on the market. We must remember that man has been chasing deer for thousands of years. The art of hunting is not new. It’s the methods that are ever-changing.
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.
