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Listen Now! To the Iowa Hunting and Fishing Report

Watch the October 6th Iowa Hunting and Fishing Report!

Fishing: The fall bite is on! Panfish are still biting, the walleye bite is finally starting to pick up too.

Hunting: Congrats to all the youth hunters who were able to fill their tags. Bow season is now open, movement has been okay.

This week's sponsor of the Hunting and Fishing Report is Polk County Conservation's controlled waterfowl hunting program. Waterfowl hunting blinds at Chichaqua Bottoms Greenbelt in NE Polk County can be reserved by calling the Chichaqua office at (515) 323-5395 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The twelve blinds are located in both marsh and woodland settings. Blinds cost $30 per day and hold up to four hunters. Reservations are available for both the early split (October 10 – 16) and late split (Oct. 24 – Nov. 30).

Click here to reserve your blind today!
https://www.polkcountyiowa.gov/conservation/things-to-do/hunting

Iowa Hunting Fishing Report

Check Out Our Current Issue!

CWD and EHD in Iowa, The Iowa Sportsman, EHD, CWD, Hunting in Iowa, deer population in iowa, Iowas deer hunting 2026

Understanding CWD and EHD in Iowa: What Hunters Should Know for 2026

noUnderstanding CWD and EHD in Iowa: What Hunters Should Know for 2026 I remember the drought of 2012. It barely rained, grass turned brown, ponds dried up, ag yields were catastrophic across the state, and then deer began to die. This was the first time I remember chatter from Iowa deer hunters getting really concerned […]

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dove hunting, the iowa sportsman, iowa's dove season

Gearing Up for Dove Season

Gearing Up for Dove Season Dove season around Iowa is kind of the first kick-off for hunting season. It opens up around September 1st, near the Labor Day holiday, so what better way to celebrate than to go hunting? Dove hunting is hard, you’ll watch groups of men, excellent shooters, miss the doves as they […]

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hunting rubs and scrapes, deer sign,

Hunting Rubs & Scrapes

Unlocking the Secrets of Rubs & Scrapes This fall, many hunters will come across fresh rubs and scrapes to and from their hunting locations. Learning how to read these signs can greatly improve a hunter’s odds of filling a tag on a mature buck. Oftentimes, these signs are more than a single signpost and instead […]

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The New Age of Trail Cameras

The New Age of Trail Cameras For many hunters, trail cameras have become as essential as a good pair of boots or a reliable bow. They’re your eyes when you can’t, or don’t want to, be in the timber. As we move into 2026, trailcamera technology continues to shape how hunters gather information, pattern deer, […]

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Featured Story

A Classic Evening with an Iowa Giant – Bowhunting Boone & Crockett Bucks

Does a plan ever fall into place the way it should? The months leading up to October and November are filled with daydreams of target bucks making their way in front of our stands. Perfect conditions, with a shooter buck coming in on a string, setting up for perfect shot placement. If only that was how it worked… but that wouldn’t be as rewarding, would it?

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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.