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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Getting on Early Season Bucks

Getting on Early Season Bucks

Getting on Early Season Bucks We all have those deer obsessed friends that reliably kill big deer, almost every year. At the least, they get on big bucks and have an encounter with them A lot of times, we just chalk it up to excuses like: they have better hunting property, they have more time, […]

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Train for Upland Game

Train for Upland Game

Train for Upland Game Let’s face it, upland hunting is less enjoyable without a good bird dog. I’d even say it’s not enjoyable to hunt without a dog. Similarly, it’s not enjoyable to upland hunt with an out-of-control dog. It’s common sense, a dog will cover more ground and find more birds than we ever […]

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Coyote hunting with night rigs

Coyote Hunting with Night Rigs

Coyote Hunting with Night Rigs The impact of predation on overall deer herd health is a complex issue. The specific predators that have the greatest impact on fawn survival can vary depending on location and habitat type. In Iowa, we’re talking mainly about coyotes and bobcats. Research consistently identifies predation as a leading cause of […]

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Memories of a Dad

Memories of a Dad

Memories of a Dad These days I find myself remembering some of the most memorable hunts that I’ve had on these very familiar grounds in the timber. They come flooding back as if I’m actually stepping back in time reliving the adventure of the moment that happened in the past. I feel my chest begin […]

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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.