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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Field Techniques for Taxidermy Bird Mounts

Field Techniques for Taxidermy Bird Mounts

Field Techniques for Top-Notch Bird Taxidermy Mounts Whether you are new to hunting or a lifelong hunter, there is one guarantee, you will form many memories over the years hunting! You can capture these memories in a variety of ways such as pictures, journaling, storytelling, etc. One great way to forever capture the moment from […]

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What's so great about Travelling Boat Blinds

What’s so great about Travelling Boat Blinds

What’s so great about Travelling Boat Blinds As the old saying goes, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat!” In waterfowl hunting, dozens of methods, tactics and tools can be used to chase these well-traveled, illusive targets. From hiding in the weeds with waders and a dozen dekes to massive decoy spreads in […]

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The art of hunting small parcels of land

The Art of Hunting Small Parcels of Land

The Art of Hunting Small Parcels of Land Deer hunting in America is an interesting story. Most hardcore deer enthusiasts have heard the jaw dropping fact that there are currently more whitetail deer in Nrth America than there were when Christopher Colombus set foot in this hemisphere. What’s so surprising about this fact is that […]

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Conquering opening day

Conquering Opening Day: Whitetails 365

Conquering Opening Day As the crisp autumn air begins to settle, every bowhunter’s excitement is amping up in anticipation for opening day. But before you head into the field, taking the time to meticulously prepare your equipment is crucial for a successful and ethical hunt. Strings & Cables First, ensure your bow and accessories are […]

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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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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.