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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Exploring Iowa on Two Wheels

Exploring Iowa on Two Wheels

Exploring Iowa on Two Wheels “I thought Iowa is supposed to be flat?!?!” It’s a phrase I’ve heard over and over again during my many years of riding in The Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, or RAGBRAI. For those that aren’t aware, RAGBRAI is an annual bicycle ride that travels west to east […]

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Scouting Tactics to Keep Pressure Off Hunting Areas

Scouting Tactics to Keep Pressure Off Hunting Areas

Scouting Tactics to Keep Pressure Off Hunting Areas We are now in what us whitetail enthusiasts consider the doldrums of summer. Long gone are the days of cool mornings and sunset rides that end by 8:00 pm. Now we are in a battle with mosquitos and the urge to vacation. For the whitetail nut though, […]

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Best July Fishing Destinations

Best July Fishing Destinations Ahhh…July in Iowa. One word best describes it, HOT! For the entire state, we’ll average about 85 degrees for highs, and lows will range from 61 to 66 degrees. Mornings will be comfortable, but midday fishing will be hot, especially if the wind is light or nonexistent. And as the evening […]

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Upland Game Drills

Upland Game Drills

Upland Game Drills If we desire to improve our skills, we need to be ready to put in the work. Rather than just showing up to the field opening day of upland season, hoping our dog is just a natural rockstar, we can deploy some simple strategies. If we want our dogs to feel comfortable […]

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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.