Check Out Our Current Issue!

In this Issue of The Iowa Sportsman August 2025:
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- 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!
First Day Success for Whitetail Shotgun Season-Steer Clear of the Crowds
Typically in Iowa during the first day of shotgun season for whitetails you will see groups of orange clad hunters chasing deer all over the place. The Iowa landscape is literally dotted with orange from border to border. The most common tactic used is large group or party hunting. This is when hunters will get […]
READ MORETeaching the Fundamentals of Handguns
I’m often asked how I recommend new people begin shooting. You’d think that would be relatively simple. For the most part it can be, but we manage to make it complex more times than we realize. When asked how I prefer to introduce kids into shooting handguns, I don’t do so any differently than an […]
READ MOREThe Hunting Buddy
The Hunting Buddy By Earl Taylor Vivek Murthy, a former surgeon general of the United States, has said in recent years that the most prevalent health issue in the country is not cancer or heart disease or obesity. It is isolation. Murthy’s comment is good news to us who are overweight; finding a friend should […]
READ MOREWhitetail Sidearms: Choosing a Handgun for Deer
The best handgun for deer hunting you ask? Wow! That’s a tall order. A question like that depends on so many variables there is no correct answer that is truly universal. As you know this really hinges on things like your comfort and confidence with a particular firearm. Of course there are natural pitfalls to […]
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.