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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Bowfishing Opportunities in Iowa

Bowfishing Opportunities in Iowa

Bowfishing Opportunities in Iowa Bowfishing has always held a special place in my heart. In fact, bowfishing is the only form of archery that I have ever done outside of some casual target practice with a longbow. I first started when I was about 14 years old. My dad had an old 25 lb youth […]

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Chasing Muskies in Iowa Waters

Chasing Muskies in Iowa’s Waters Beneath the surface of some of Iowa’s larger northern lakes and rivers lurks a prehistoric predator – the mighty Muskellunge, or muskie for short. Muskies offer a unique challenge and an unforgettable thrill for those lucky enough to hook one. These freshwater giants can easily surpass 50 pounds, transforming a […]

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Four Ways to Catch More Catfish

Four Ways to Catch More Catfish “If you follow these steps for a few seasons, especially on home waters you will become a force on that body of water.” We all want to catch more fish. In this case it is catfish. Nothing written here is earth shattering news but it is a few simple […]

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Secrets to Catching Summer Bass

Secrets to Catching Summer Bass

Secrets to Catching Summer Bass The warming temperatures have anglers restless and looking for every opportunity to hit the water, and the hopes of a whopper bass fuels the excitement even more. Here in Iowa, the water is warming up, fish are becoming active and offer a prime opportunity to catch that trophy fish. Summer […]

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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.