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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!

In The Iowa Sportsman December 2026 Issue…

Winter brings fresh opportunities for hunters and anglers, and this issue of Iowa Sportsman has plenty to explore. Follow the trail in Whitetail 365: Tracking Goes to the Dogs, explore December Coyote Hunting, and bring your harvest full circle with How to Process Your Own Venison.

Keep your hunting season going with Hunting the Late Split and Where to Find Late-Season Pheasants in Iowa. For a closer look at your equipment, read Understanding Barrel Lengths, Profiles, and Twist Rates, then help your four-legged hunting partner prepare for colder outings with Winter Safety: Keeping Your Dog Warm.

Ready to trade the field for frozen water? Discover Why Anglers Head North to Devils Lake and explore A Minnesota Winter of Big Fish and Miles of Trails. Round out your winter preparations with Ice Augers for Every Situation and Budget.

Click Here To View This Issue Now!

Five Fall Fish Recipes Worth the Catch

Five Fall Fish Recipes Worth the Catch

Five Fall Fish Recipes Worth the Catch There are a number of reasons to spend an afternoon, or for that matter, an entire day outdoors chasing after your favorite quarry. It could be you just want to get away and let that fish stretch your line as you let the stresses of the work week […]

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25 Fall Festivals Across Iowa

25 Fall Festivals Across Iowa Autumn in Iowa is, without a doubt, my favorite time of the year. The weather is cooling as cool temperatures sets in. The leaves transform into brilliant shades of gold, orange, and red. Saturdays are made for tailgating as the Cyclones and Hawkeyes take the field, while cool evenings bring […]

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Places To See In Iowa This Fall

Exploring Iowa in Full Fall Color My favorite time of all is autumn. As I’m writing this, the leaves are just getting ready to turn colors. With all the oak trees that will be turning shades of gold and orange, the maples turning yellow, amber and bright red, Iowa in the fall is gorgeous! You […]

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Train Your Dog for Waterfowl Season, Iowa Sportsman , Gundog training, Dog training, waterfowl, duck, retrieve

Train Your Dog for Waterfowl Season

Train Your Dog for Waterfowl Season Just to be clear, I am not a waterfowl hunter. That’s my reality for two reasons: time and connections – I choose to pursue different game during waterfowl seasons, and none of my buddies are avid waterfowlers. Since we’re clearing the air, I’d like to make a couple of […]

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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.