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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Three Tips for a Successful Muzzleloader Season

Three Tips for a Successful Muzzleloader Season One of the most exciting times to harvest a deer is in the snow, during the late muzzleloader season. It’s during this time that I eagerly retrieve my trusty muzzleloader and go on a mission to harvest does. These does, will be transformed into a batch of mouthwatering […]

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Infared or Thermal for Coyote Hunting

Infared or Thermal for Coyote Hunting: Scoping out Success

Scoping out Success: Infared or Thermal for Coyote Hunting In Iowa, we see a lot of rules and regulation changes every year. One of the more recent rules has changed the way we can coyote hunt. According to Iowa’s regulations as outlined in the 2023 DNR rules and regulations: “A person may use an infrared […]

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The Basics of Waterfowl Spreads

The Basics of Waterfowl Spreads

The Basics of Waterfowl Spreads As the temps cool and the last of the leaves finish turning from brilliant yellows, reds, and oranges into a dull brown, the energy builds for the waterfowl hunters in Iowa. Iowa falls into the Central Mississippi Flyway and Iowa hunters are lucky enough to have access to nearly 50% […]

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Keeping warm when the hunt is cold

Keeping Warm When the Hunt is Cold

Keeping Warm When the Hunt is Cold Normally you purchase one of the fair-weathered early muzzleloader tags. Historically it’s been such a good season to hunt, but this year you had an ill-timed work conference that ate up most of that choice week. Preferring the length of a muzzleloader season, you settled on hunting the […]

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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.