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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Building a Foundation for Gundogs

Building a Foundation for the Field

Building a Foundation for the Field Anymore, “basic” seems to have a bad rap. It isn’t glamorous. It doesn’t make the highlight reels. It’s often the thing we ignore, rush, or cheat. It seems lame. With a clearer perspective, we can see the value of “basic”. It’s what brings the glam to glamorous. It’s the […]

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Best Places for Early Season Fishing

Best Places for Early Season Open Water

Best Places for Early Season Open Water It’s time to start thinking about the open water season. Time to put away those short sticks and tiny jigs, and replace them with longer rods, bigger tackle boxes, and a fishing vessel if you own one. If a water vessel is not your thing, that’s ok because […]

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Polaris Ranger Cab Models 2026

Polaris Expands Industry’s Largest Cabbed Lineup with New Ranger Models for All-Season Comfort

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5 Historic Places to Visit in Iowa

5 Historic Places to Visit in Iowa Iowa was officially established as the 29th state on December 28, 1846. Our state is still full of fun historical places to visit. Each county has its own historic place or building preserving the heritage that helped shape our state. Iowa’s landscape is dotted with historical landmarks that […]

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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.