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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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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Take a Kid Fishing

Take a Kid Fishing

Take a Kid Fishing Fishing has been a huge part of my life from a very early age. I can remember begging my dad to take me fishing on the weekends. He worked six days a week, church on Sunday mornings, but I just knew a father of seven kids wanted to take us fishing […]

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Management for a Thriving Deer Season

Management for a Thriving Deer Season in 2024: Whitetails 365

Management for a Thriving Deer Season in 2024: Whitetails 365 In May, a lot of Iowa Sportsmen shift their focus from deer to turkey and fishing. However, for some of us, we are always planning and doing what we can for the upcoming deer season. There are some things you can do to help your […]

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Spring Mushrooms to Forage in Iowa

Spring Mushrooms to Forage in Iowa When spring rolls around and temperatures start increasing, Iowa foragers become excited knowing that soon spring mushrooms will be popping up in our Iowa timbers. Here are a few you may expect to see: Morels One of the first mushrooms to begin growing in Iowa are morel mushrooms. If […]

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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.