Check Out Our Current Issue!
In this issue of the Iowa Sportsman October 2025
- 5 Easy Mistakes to Make Fly Fishing for Trout in the Fall
- 10 Beginner Tips for Hunting Iowa Geese
- Deer Scents and Lures
- Early October Hunting Strategies
- Training your Dog to Blood-trail Deer
- Planning a Weeklong Pheasant Trip
- Shooting Optics for the Iowa Hunter
- Top 10 Bowhunting Destinations
- Whitetails 365: Mastering Scent Control
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Selecting Loads for Pheasant Season
Selecting Loads for Pheasant Season It’s that time of the year again, when many of us dream about opening day for hunting the wily rooster pheasant. For nearly 60 years, which starts to date me, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed chasing the old rooster, almost always behind my favorite dog. We have always enjoyed the experience hunting […]
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Hunting Nocturnal Bucks in Iowa: Whitetails 365
Hunting Nocturnal Bucks in Iowa: Whitetails 365 So, you’ve set your sights on bagging that elusive buck. You’ve put in your time scouting with trail cameras and glassing him in green soybean fields. Once October 1 hits, he disappears. When you do get pictures of him, it’s only at night. Now we begin the quest […]
READ MORETop Public Upland Hunting Areas in Iowa
Top Public Hunting Upland Areas in Iowa Iowa’s rolling fields and picturesque landscapes set the stage for an exhilarating outdoor pursuit that is just around the corner, pheasant season. As the leaves begin to turn and a crisp autumn breeze fills the air, hunters from across the state and beyond eagerly anticipate the opening of […]
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5 Tips to Bag More Pheasants this Season
5 Tips to Bag More Pheasants this Season It was an unseasonably warm South Dakota day, the kind of day we all love, unless we’re in the midst of a pheasant hunt. This weather made the birds jumpy, which was troublesome, considering we were hunting public land birds that receive a great deal of hunting […]
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Featured Story
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 that in the last 40 years, there has been quite a bit of advancement when it comes to hunting whitetails. Knowing more about deer behavior, hunting scents, better tree stands, better bows, guns, and so much more.
I fear that somebody desiring to get into hunting in the current culture could be a bit overwhelmed with all the information and tools that are out there on the market. We must remember that man has been chasing deer for thousands of years. The art of hunting is not new. It’s the methods that are ever-changing.
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.
