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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Planning Your Deer Food Plot

Planning Your Deer Food Plot

Planning Your Deer Food Plot  When February rolls around, I always feel a shift—it’s like the start of a new season for those of us who love the outdoors and deer hunting. The hustle of hunting season has settled down, and now, instead of watching deer from the stand, I start preparing for how I’ll […]

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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

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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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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.