Check Out Our Current Issue!
In the May 2026 Issue of the Iowa Sportsman
- Chase the Bite: Early Season
- Calming A Hyper Gun Dog
- Perfecting Your Turkey Setup
- Summer Work That Pays Off in Bow Season
- Artifact Hunting in Iowa
- Wild Edible Foraging
- Tactics for Late-Season Toms
- Iowa’s Venom, Oil and Toxic Sap
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Three Tips for a Successful Muzzleloader Season
Three Tips for a Successful Muzzleloader Season One of the most exciting times to harvest a deer is in the snow, during the late muzzleloader season. It’s during this time that I eagerly grab my muzzleloader and go on a mission to harvest does. These does, will be transformed into a batch of mouthwatering jerky […]
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Tips for Party Hunting Iowa’s Gun Seasons
Tips for Party Hunting Iowa’s Gun Seasons The Buzz, of Iowa’s gun hunting season is something else. It’s that time of year when hunters gear up, eager to finally get their hands on their shotguns, muzzleloaders and rifles. It’s more than just a hunt; it’s a tradition. A chance to hang out with close friends […]
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Getting Ready for First Ice
Getting Ready for First Ice As the weather begins to cool and temperatures start dipping to freezing and below, every ice angler out there is getting ready for the first ice of the season. Before you grab your rod bag and ice shack. Make sure to pull the ole ice fishing suit out (to see […]
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Waterfowl Strategies – Hunting Pressured Ducks
Waterfowl Strategies – Hunting Pressured Ducks Those that spend much time hunting waterfowl in Iowa know that hunting pressured ducks can be a very tough thing to deal with, especially when it comes to hunting public ground. I suppose many places around the U.S. you could say the same. This is especially true when the […]
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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.
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.
