Check Out Our Current Issue!
In the April 2026 Issue of the Iowa Sportsman
- Best Places for Early Season Open Water
- Building a Foundation for the Field
- Range Safety Tips
- Building a Farm Pond to Hold More Wildlife
- Shed Antlers: Do they really tell us anything?
- What Makes a Great Food Plot
- Keeping Kids Engaged in Turkey Hunting
- Pre-Spawn Bass
- Springtime Panfish-Perch, Crappie, and Bluegill
Click Here To View This Issue Now!
Engaging the Next Generation
Engaging the Next Generation The future of wildlife conservation in North America rests squarely on the shoulders of the next generation of hunters. For over a century, the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation has been predominantly funded by hunters through license fees and excise taxes on equipment. As the number of licensed hunters steadily […]
READ MORE
Reflecting on a Productive Season
Reflecting on a Productive Season The time of year and season that we all longed for not so long ago has now come and gone in what has seemed like the blink of an eye. Deer season 2025-2026 is, for all intents and purposes, a wrap. So much can be said for what many would […]
READ MORE
Five Easy Tips to Find More Antlers
Five Easy Tips to Find More Antlers The hunting season might be over, but the real fun in the woods is just beginning if you ask me. If you’ve never tried shed hunting, you’re missing out on a serious adventure. It’s like a treasure hunt in the woods. It’s also one of the best ways […]
READ MORE
Iowa’s Hunting and Shooting Preserves
Iowa’s Hunting and Shooting Preserves I can vividly recall my first trip to an upland hunting preserve in 2012. It wasn’t just a simple work outing; it was a retreat I took with a few work colleagues. To prime our minds and sharpen our reflexes, we kicked things off with a couple of rounds of […]
READ MORE
Featured Story
Springtime Panfish-Perch, Crappie, and Bluegill
Spring is in full swing here in Iowa, and what can be more pleasant a reminder than the sound of birds, the sight of flowers blooming, and the feel of a warm afternoon? I can think of at least one more thing…Panfish!
I can remember it like yesterday, our family would all meet up at the lake house. There was work to do. The yard was to be picked up, the cabin cleaned, and the dock had to be put in. But then, after the work was finished, it was time for all of us cousins to fish! We would all go out to the garage to pick out a few old rods and tie on a hook and sinker as best we could.
The next order of business was to hunt for worms. Flipping anything that we could find stuck in the ground in hopes of just finding a few crawlers. Once the bait was secured, we were ready to fish. We would go out on the dock and cast, vertical jig, and even troll along the side of the dock. We usually did pretty well use those tactics, but my all-time favorite was walking along the rocks on shore and dropping the bait down every little crevice, not knowing what was going to come up next.
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.
