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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Go-to May Lures

Go-To May Lures

Go-To May Lures May marks the peak of bass and crappie activity in Iowa as they enter their spawning season. Crappie are a favorite for Iowans, and they are one of the best tasting fish you can catch in our lakes. Targeting these fish requires specific tactics and lures. Put in some time on the […]

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Best Iowa Destinations for Trophy Fish

Best Iowa Destinations for Trophy Fish

Best Iowa Destinations for Trophy Fish Bass, walleye, and crappie are all favorite species for Iowa anglers to target. We’ve picked some of our favorite Iowa destinations for anyone fishing for these species. Large Mouth Bass One of our picks for the best bass location is Clear Lake. This 3,600 acre lake in north-central Iowa […]

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Engage and Entertain your Gun Dog

Engage and Entertain your Gun Dog

Engage and Entertain your Gun Dog Believe it or not, one of the simplest ways to entertain and engage our gun dogs, is to do life with them. We can over complicate our relationship with our dog when we think every training session needs to be formal and designed. We can also confuse our dog […]

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Turning Target Practice into Fun

Turning Target Practice into Fun

Turning Target Practice into Fun Shooting can be a fantastic activity that combines focus, skill, and a healthy dose of competition. When having someone new introduced to guns, it’s best to make it as fun as an experience as you can for them. Safety First Our journey to shooting fun starts with an unwavering commitment […]

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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.