Early Spring Trout Fishing
Early Spring Trout Fishing

Early Spring Trout Fishing Spring in Northeast Iowa’s Driftless Region marks the beginning of one of the most rewarding trout fishing seasons in the Midwest. This is one of the prettiest areas in Northern Iowa marked with limestone bluffs, spring-fed creeks, and rolling pastures. The Driftless Region contains a several cold, clear streams that flow steadily year-round. This creates perfect trout habitat, and spring offers fishermen peaceful days on the water. With stable water temperatures, increasing insect activity, and hungry post-winter trout, there’s no better time to explore these legendary streams. Why The Driftless Region? This region is a trout […]

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Night Hunting Coyotes

Night Hunting Coyotes When it comes to night hunting coyotes, thermal and night vision scopes are among the most game-changing tools you can acquire. Both types of optics use cutting-edge technology to illuminate the night and detect heat signatures, giving the hunter unparalleled advantages in low-light or no-light conditions. A few years ago, Iowa legislation […]

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Upgrading your fishing equipment

Upgrading Your Fishing Equipment

Upgrading Your Fishing Equipment There really are three things that you need to consider when it comes to upgrading your fishing equipment. Whether you are ice fishing or on open water. Includes the rod, the reel, and the type of fishing line you will use.  As many of you can attest, we all start somewhere, […]

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Iowa’s Winter Wonderland Adventures

Iowa’s Winter Wonderland Adventures

Iowa’s Winter Wonderland Adventures Iowa, often associated with summer cornfields and fertile soil, transforms into a pristine and breathtaking winter wonderland. Iowa offers a variety of outdoor activities especially at public areas and state parks. From serene winter hikes to those last ice fishing adventures, there are ample opportunities to enjoy the winter here in […]

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Target Shooting Checklist

Target Shooting Checklist Target shooting is something anyone can do and so is this target shooting checklist. It gets you outdoors. Do it by yourself or with group of friends. You can shoot pistols, rifles, shotguns, or, “all of the above”. You don’t even have to be a hunter or have plans to become one […]

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Featured Story

Big Buck Profile: The 2025 Gandy Buck

Ok, this first big buck profile is a little self-serving in that it is of a buck that I personally took this past deer season. While it is likely not the “biggest” big buck that we will profile this year it is definitely one of my most special deer ever.

Turning a Dream into Reality

As has been noted in several articles since 2023, my family and I finally put together the means to purchase our very own piece of Iowa ground. “The 32,” as we call it, has become a passion project to see if we could take an unassuming piece of real estate and harvest a mature deer from there by giving him all he needs in the way of habitat. This year was the first year that the farm would be huntable in the state in which we intended due to construction projects over the past couple of seasons.

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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.