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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Deer Scents and How to Use Them

Deer Scents and How to Use Them

Deer Scents and How to Use Them Eliminating Human Scent The foundation of scent control lies in minimizing your human odor. This starts with meticulous hygiene. Showering with scent-free soap, washing your hunting clothes in scent-free detergent, and avoiding scented products are essential steps. In our house, we use scent-free detergent all year round to […]

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Iowa Duck Hunting

Iowa Duck Hunting: A Fall Tradition

Iowa Duck Hunting: A Fall Tradition As we turn the page and settle into my favorite time of year, the crisp autumn air settles in and the vibrant hues of fall paint the Iowa landscape thinking of mornings duck hunting in Iowa. The anticipation of waterfowl season reaches an all-time high. With a diverse ecosystem […]

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Analyzing Your Shot What Next

Analyzing Your Shot What Next

Analyzing Your Shot What Next The moment of truth has finally arrived and all of your hard work has paid off: you got your shot on that whitetail you’ve been after for so long. Your arrow struck and your animal has bound out of sight. The impact was not enough to let the animal expire […]

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Teaching your Gundog to be Steady on Point

Teaching your Gundog to be Steady on Point

Teaching your Gundog to be Steady on Point Steadiness is a foundational element I work into all of my puppy training, no matter if they are a flusher, pointer or even an upland dog. I’d argue that the handler of a dog that can’t seem to be steady is the one to blame – not […]

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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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Created By Iowans, For Iowans

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.