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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Choosing A Handgun For Deer!
By Michael Ware, CEO Controlled Chaos Arms 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. […]
READ MOREFacebook Giveaway -Send Us Your ’18 Deer Harvest Photo For A Chance At A New Bow!
READ MORE2018 Iowa Upland Roadside Survey Report
Provided by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Every August the Iowa DNR Enforcement and Wildlife Bureau conducts the Upland Roadside Survey. The survey generates data from approximately 215, 30-mile routes on pheasants, quail, gray partridge, cottontail rabbits, and white-tailed jackrabbits. Counts are conducted on cool mornings with sunshine, heavy dew, and no wind. These […]
READ MOREThe Role of Private Hatcheries when Restocking Ponds
Last Father’s Day; in-laws from northern Iowa were visiting our farm. It was one of those early summer days when going fishing seems like a natural activity, and one of our guests is an avid fisherman. When I suggested we throw a few lures and worms in a nearby farm pond, Gus Cleveland, of Lake […]
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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.
