Iowa’s Venom, Oil and Toxic Sap
Iowa’s Venom, Oil and Toxic Sap

I once struck up a conversation with a man from Australia and while talking I asked him the question most people want to know about Australians, “how many times have you been bitten by one of your crazy spiders you have down there?” His answer was shocking, “Oh not many, probably less than 20 times.”

I once struck up a conversation with a man from Australia and while talking I asked him the question most people want to know about Australians, “how many times have you been bitten by one of your crazy spiders you have down there?” His answer was shocking, “Oh not many, probably less than 20 times.” My coworker and I laughed in horror and amazement and counted our blessing of living in the relatively venom free state of Iowa.

I once struck up a conversation with a man from Australia and while talking I asked him the question most people want to know about Australians, “how many times have you been bitten by one of your crazy spiders you have down there?” His answer was shocking, “Oh not many, probably less than 20 times.” My coworker and I laughed in horror and amazement and counted our blessing of living in the relatively venom free state of Iowa. But only relatively venom free, within Iowa’s borders there are a handful of flora and fauna that if encountered can leave an unlucky Iowan itchy, burning, swollen, scarred and in the worst of scenarios, permanently incapacitated or dead.

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Dangerous Plants and Animals in Iowa

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Walleye Tricks and Tackle Fishing Iowa’s Big Three

Walleye Tricks and Tackle

Walleye Tricks and Tackle Walleye, by far, has to be one of the most sought-after freshwater fish and one that every angler loves to fish fry. There are many great walleye fisheries in the State, along with two of the Nation’s biggest rivers that bookend our State, the Missouri in the west and the Mississippi […]

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How to Grow Giant Whitetails

How to Grow Giant Whitetails: Unlocking the Power of Minerals

How to Grow Giant Whitetails One of my most memorable hunts was a bowhunt several years ago, it was actually my first year bowhunting. I was in Southern Iowa in November, a combination in itself that is going to be a good day hunting no matter the outcome. The moment I stepped into the timber, […]

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Using Burning to Maximize Grasslands

Using Burning to Maximize Grasslands

Using Burning to Maximize Grasslands If you are a fellow ‘90s kid, or raised kids in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s you probably remember the TV blaring out. “He’s on fire!” When you or your kids were playing the classic video game ‘NBA Jam.’ Hearing that phrase in the context of watching one of […]

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Getting Youth Involved in Turkey Season

Getting Youth Involved in Turkey Season

Getting Youth Involved in Turkey Season Youth turkey season can be such a fun, exciting and rewarding experience.   Here are some tips and tricks for a successful hunt. Get Them Involved Give the youth turkey calls to practice with and invite them to practice calling before season.  A box call or push-button calls are […]

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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.

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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.