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 […]

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What's so great about Travelling Boat Blinds

What’s so great about Travelling Boat Blinds

What’s so great about Travelling Boat Blinds As the old saying goes, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat!” In waterfowl hunting, dozens of methods, tactics and tools can be used to chase these well-traveled, illusive targets. From hiding in the weeds with waders and a dozen dekes to massive decoy spreads in […]

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The art of hunting small parcels of land

The Art of Hunting Small Parcels of Land

The Art of Hunting Small Parcels of Land Deer hunting in America is an interesting story. Most hardcore deer enthusiasts have heard the jaw dropping fact that there are currently more whitetail deer in Nrth America than there were when Christopher Colombus set foot in this hemisphere. What’s so surprising about this fact is that […]

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Conquering opening day

Conquering Opening Day: Whitetails 365

Conquering Opening Day As the crisp autumn air begins to settle, every bowhunter’s excitement is amping up in anticipation for opening day. But before you head into the field, taking the time to meticulously prepare your equipment is crucial for a successful and ethical hunt. Strings & Cables First, ensure your bow and accessories are […]

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Getting on Early Season Bucks

Getting on Early Season Bucks

Getting on Early Season Bucks We all have those deer obsessed friends that reliably kill big deer, almost every year. At the least, they get on big bucks and have an encounter with them A lot of times, we just chalk it up to excuses like: they have better hunting property, they have more time, […]

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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. 

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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.