The Art of Persuasion: Deer Scents, Rattles, and Bleats 
The Art of Persuasion: Deer Scents, Rattles, and Bleats 

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 […]

Read more

Check Out Our Current Issue!

When the Pressure (Hunting) is High!

When the Pressure (Hunting) is High

When the Pressure (Hunting) is High! I grew up hunting with a great bunch of guys from my church. Most of them were farmers who had plenty of land and enjoyed the company of a city boy and his dad. Deer drives were our method of hunting and with these guys on our team, there […]

READ MORE
Understanding Broadhead and Arrow Set-up

Understanding Broadhead and Arrow Set-up

Understanding Your Broadhead and Arrow Set-up Archery and bowhunting have changed tremendously in the last 40 years, so understanding your broadhead and arrow set-up has changed as well. In recent years, arrow weight and Front of Center (FOC) have become hot topics among archers. Fifteen years ago, the trends leaned towards lighter, faster arrows. The […]

READ MORE
Getting Youth Involved in Pheasant Season

Getting Youth Involved in Pheasant Season

Getting Youth Involved in Pheasant Season In Iowa, our season is getting ready to open up, before the season begins, we have a few days set aside for youth to go out and try their luck pheasant hunting. Some days might be better than others while out in the field. When you take your kid, […]

READ MORE
Deer Scents and How to Use Them

Deer Scents and How to Use Them

Deer Scents and How to Use Them Eliminating Human Scent The foundation of scent control lies in minimizing your human odor. This starts with meticulous hygiene. Showering with scent-free soap, washing your hunting clothes in scent-free detergent, and avoiding scented products are essential steps. In our house, we use scent-free detergent all year round to […]

READ MORE

Featured Story

Iowa Public Land Hunting 

Every hunter wants to know where to go to harvest a great deer.  We often assume that there is some “honey hole” spot out there that a person can always go to and harvest a trophy year after year.  While having hope for that, we are always keeping our ears perked for that privileged information on where the best place to hunt would be.   

Now, let me ask you, if somebody had the perfect spot to hunt where they are harvesting trophy deer year after year, do you think that they would share that information with you?  Probably not.  Unless they are VERY gracious and kind.   

In this article, I will not share any “secret spots” with you who are reading.  Frankly, because I don’t have any secret spots to share!  However, I’ve lived in Iowa long enough to steer you to certain areas of our great state that might give you a great chance to fill a tag this fall and winter.  So let’s begin with some regions of the state to key into. 

READ FULL STORY

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.