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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Check Out Our Current Issue!

Understanding Thermals and How to Hunt with Them

Understanding Thermals and How to Hunt with Them It’s one of those mornings that as a bowhunter we all dream about. It’s the last week of October and the first cool front has moved in over the last 24 hours. This shift takes daytime highs from the mid 70’s to the mid 50’s. So, it’s […]

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Essential Tree stand Safety Measures: Hunt Smart & Stay Safe

Essential Tree stand Safety Measures: Hunt Smart & Stay Safe My wife often gets annoyed with my morbid musings that I occasionally think out loud. I don’t know why I do it, but it’s compelling to ponder who, what, when, how, and where someone died. Sometimes I put myself in the subject’s shoes, other times […]

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Advice for New Waterfowl Hunters

Advice for New Waterfowl Hunters Getting started with any hobby can be a whirlwind of research, trial and error, time and money wasted, and overall frustration. Getting started in waterfowl hunting is no different. In my opinion, waterfowl hunting is the most consuming rabbit hole you can get into as a sportsman. There are hundreds […]

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Top 10 Public Waterfowl Hunting Areas

Top 10 Public Waterfowl Hunting Areas

Top 10 Public Waterfowl Hunting Areas Kettleson Hogsback Complex (Dickinson County) The Kettleson Hogsback Complex in Dickinson County, encompasses a diverse range of wetlands, including marshes, potholes, and lakes, creating an ideal habitat for waterfowl. Hunters visiting Kettleson Hogsback Complex can expect a variety of waterfowl species to target, including ducks such as mallards, teal, […]

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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.