Check Out Our Current Issue!
In the April 2026 Issue of the Iowa Sportsman
- Best Places for Early Season Open Water
- Building a Foundation for the Field
- Range Safety Tips
- Building a Farm Pond to Hold More Wildlife
- Shed Antlers: Do they really tell us anything?
- What Makes a Great Food Plot
- Keeping Kids Engaged in Turkey Hunting
- Pre-Spawn Bass
- Springtime Panfish-Perch, Crappie, and Bluegill
Click Here To View This Issue Now!
Shed Antlers: Do they really tell us anything?
Shed Antlers: Do they really tell us anything? March 5, 2021 was a very special day in my time spent afield. I had taken a walk through the timber to “get out of my own head” and to decompress from a long work week. I was looking for shed antlers which was an activity that […]
READ MORE
Building a Farm Pond to Hold More Wildlife
Building a Farm Pond to Hold More Wildlife Iowa isn’t known for vast hydrological opportunities, but most people who grew up in rural parts of the state are familiar with farm ponds. Whether it’s fond memories of catching bass and bluegill on a hot summer day or watching cattle wade in to cool off, most […]
READ MORE
Range Safety Tips
Range Safety Tips In 2002, I was twelve years old when my parents signed me up for a hunter’s safety program. By then, I had already spent plenty of time tagging along behind my dad and uncles, trailing through timber, listening watching, and soaking up everything I could. Hunting had a way of grabbing hold […]
READ MORE
Building a Foundation for the Field
Building a Foundation for the Field Anymore, “basic” seems to have a bad rap. It isn’t glamorous. It doesn’t make the highlight reels. It’s often the thing we ignore, rush, or cheat. It seems lame. With a clearer perspective, we can see the value of “basic”. It’s what brings the glam to glamorous. It’s the […]
READ MORE
Featured Story
Springtime Panfish-Perch, Crappie, and Bluegill
Spring is in full swing here in Iowa, and what can be more pleasant a reminder than the sound of birds, the sight of flowers blooming, and the feel of a warm afternoon? I can think of at least one more thing…Panfish!
I can remember it like yesterday, our family would all meet up at the lake house. There was work to do. The yard was to be picked up, the cabin cleaned, and the dock had to be put in. But then, after the work was finished, it was time for all of us cousins to fish! We would all go out to the garage to pick out a few old rods and tie on a hook and sinker as best we could.
The next order of business was to hunt for worms. Flipping anything that we could find stuck in the ground in hopes of just finding a few crawlers. Once the bait was secured, we were ready to fish. We would go out on the dock and cast, vertical jig, and even troll along the side of the dock. We usually did pretty well use those tactics, but my all-time favorite was walking along the rocks on shore and dropping the bait down every little crevice, not knowing what was going to come up next.
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.
