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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Fishing Walleyes Springtime Spawn

Walleyes: The Springtime Spawn

Walleyes: The Springtime Spawn With the close of the ice season, many anglers dream about the rivers or lakes opening up and the hunt for big walleyes. Often times this transition is only a few weeks apart. Timing and water temperature are crucial along with depth and water levels in the river. A lot of […]

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Hunting Pheasants in the Snow

Hunting Pheasants in the Snow

Hunting Pheasants in the Snow As I write this, my legs are burning from a fresh sunburn I received while mowing my acreage for several hours yesterday. While the thought of wading through January’s knee-deep snow drifts seems almost therapeutic. When December gets here though, my sunburn will be long gone and my legs will […]

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Hunting with a dog in cold weather

Hunting With a Dog in Cold Weather

Hunting With a Dog in Cold Weather I’d rather deal with cold than heat. My dogs are like me, they would rather work and play in cooler temps than heat. I’m guessing your dogs do too. Just because our dogs may prefer cold weather over the blazing heat, there are still some best practices we […]

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Reasons to Go Ice Fishing in Minnesota

Reasons to Go Ice Fishing in Minnesota

10 Reasons to Go Ice Fishing in Minnesota This Winter Minnesota is literally ice fishing paradise, offering unique advantages that make it a premier destination for anglers during the winter months. From an abundance of lakes to a rich fishing culture, here are the top 10 reasons to ice fish in Minnesota this winter. 1. […]

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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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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.