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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Hunting Waterfowl Beyond Opener

Hunting Waterfowl Beyond Opener

Hunting Waterfowl Beyond Opener Take a distant glance at waterfowl hunting in Iowa throughout the season and you will see a predictable shift in hunting pressure that occurs after the first couple weeks of the season. A chunk of hunters that ventured out early have hung their waders up to focus on other game species […]

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The Whitetail Rut in Iowa: Whitetails365

The Whitetail Rut in Iowa: Whitetails365

The Whitetail Rut in Iowa: A Week-by-Week Bowhunter’s Guide  The timber was still dark when I slipped into my stand that November morning, the frost crunching under my boots. The kind of morning where you can feel that it’s going to be a good hunt. The woods were electric as the sun came up. Right […]

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Deer Recovery - Increase Your Odds

Deer Recovery – Increase Your Odds

Deer Recovery – Increase Your Odds for Success   In this article we will cover a few quick tips, tricks and lessons learned in reducing wounding rates and increasing your recovery rates.   Proper shot placement   Practice your shot and hone your skills months in advance and make sure all your equipment is in working order.   Make […]

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2025 Iowa Pheasant Outlook

2025 Iowa Pheasant Outlook

2025 Iowa Pheasant Outlook Every fall, Iowa hunters venture out with bird dogs, a couple of friends, and shotguns to pursue pheasants. It’s one of the best times of the year, and for sure a season I always look forward to with high anticipation. Depending on where you’re at, and what day, you might be […]

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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.