The Art of Persuasion: Deer Scents, Rattles, and Bleats 
The Art of Persuasion: Deer Scents, Rattles, and Bleats 

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 […]

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Keeping Older Dogs in the Field

Keeping Older Dogs in the Field

Keeping Older Dogs in the Field “Every good thing has an end”. No matter how much we try to ignore this reality, it’s just that, a reality. Think about it, vacations, hunting excursions, championship seasons, this article (just checking to see if you’re still with me) every good thing has an end. The truth is, […]

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Should you Plant a Spring Food Plot: Whitetails 365

Should you Plant a Spring Food Plot: Whitetails 365 Planting spring food plots can be a key factor in setting deer hunters up for success in the fall and winter. A lot of times, hunters focus solely on fall food plots. If you’ve lived in Iowa long, you know our August and Septembers can be […]

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Essential Spring Turkey Gear

Essential Spring Turkey Gear

Essential Spring Turkey Gear Whether you are just getting into turkey hunting or you have been at it for a long time, you will find that the sky is the limit for as how deep do you want to dive into purchasing gear for the hunt. Although all the bells and whistles are not completely […]

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Cooking with Cast Iron

Cooking with Cast Iron Professionally, I am a director at a church camp. To be honest, this career was never on my radar when I was younger. What I thought I wanted (desk job making lots of money) ended up being something I just couldn’t stand to do. Yes, I tried a desk for a […]

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Featured Story

Iowa Public Land Hunting 

Every hunter wants to know where to go to harvest a great deer.  We often assume that there is some “honey hole” spot out there that a person can always go to and harvest a trophy year after year.  While having hope for that, we are always keeping our ears perked for that privileged information on where the best place to hunt would be.   

Now, let me ask you, if somebody had the perfect spot to hunt where they are harvesting trophy deer year after year, do you think that they would share that information with you?  Probably not.  Unless they are VERY gracious and kind.   

In this article, I will not share any “secret spots” with you who are reading.  Frankly, because I don’t have any secret spots to share!  However, I’ve lived in Iowa long enough to steer you to certain areas of our great state that might give you a great chance to fill a tag this fall and winter.  So let’s begin with some regions of the state to key into. 

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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.