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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Keys to Winter Waterfowl Success

Keys to Winter Waterfowl Success

Keys to Winter Waterfowl Success Hunting waterfowl during the winter is a true test of a hunter’s grit. Certainly we face challenges throughout the entire season, but the later weeks in the Midwest waterfowl season present some of the most challenging, yet favorable conditions to a successful duck or goose hunt. With that being said, […]

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Basic Ice Fishing Gear for December Invest in Iowa Made

Basic Ice Fishing Gear for December

Basic Ice Fishing Gear for December Soon, the entire state of Iowa will be covered with snow and ice, at least that is what ice fishermen are hoping for. Ice anglers from across the state are hoping for colder weather every day so they can explore their favorite lake or river during the winter fishing […]

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Important Dog Training Gear

Important Dog Training Gear

Important Dog Training Gear Trying to train your dog without gear is like trying to build something without tools, you won’t get very far. Rather than trying to exhaust all the options, I will share my “non-negotiable” pieces of gear and the brands I use. Training Bag One of the first pieces I find most […]

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Top 5 Rifles for Hunting Iowa

Top 5 Rifles for Hunting Iowa

Top 5 Rifles for Hunting Iowa It’s that time of the year that many Iowa deer hunters dream about. Before, we consider a few of the top choices for rifle cartridges, we should first review Iowa’s deer regulations for rifles. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources rules for the gun deer and youth/disabled season state […]

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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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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.