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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A Practical Plan to Purchasing Iowa Recreational Ground Wingshooting: Improving Success on Tough Shots

A Practical Plan to Purchasing Iowa Recreational Ground

A Practical Plan to Purchasing Iowa Recreational Ground If you’re an Iowa outdoorsman, you have probably dreamed of owning your own land, a piece you can call your own. A place to cast a line, blaze a trail, or just sit under the stars and connect with our creator and nature. We yearn for a […]

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Catching Pre-Spawning & Spawning Fish

Catching Pre-Spawning & Spawning Fish May in Iowa… winter has all but lost its grip, and we’re beginning to enjoy some incredible weather. It also brings with it the spring spawning period for a variety of fish. Temperatures in May will range from highs in the upper 60s to the mid-70s, with lows ranging from […]

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Tips for Prescribed Burning

Tips for Safe and Effective Prescribed Burning

Well Done: Tips for Safe and Effective Prescribed Burning In my experience, there are two universal truths when it comes to performing a prescribed burn: 1) if you do it long enough, you will have to call in support from the local volunteer fire department at some point, and 2) the fire department will get […]

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Turkey Taking Tips: From some “Not-so-Pro” Hunters! Reasons why you won't Harvest a Turkey this Year

Reasons why you won’t Harvest a Turkey this Year

Reasons why you won’t Harvest a Turkey this Year I’m already playing the hunt over and over in my mind. Knowing that in a few short months, I will be back in the timbers coaxing a big Iowa Eastern steadily towards me as he continues to thunder his call over and over in response to […]

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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.