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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Fishing New Bass Water

What To Look For On New Bass Water

What To Look for on New Bass Water Spring has finally sprung around the state and the thousands of thousands of anglers searching for bass can once again take to the water.  Whether you fish a river system or a lake around Iowa there are certain areas where you need to try, and certain areas […]

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5 Tips for Handgun Accuracy

5 Tips for Handgun Accuracy

5 Tips for Handgun Accuracy How often do you hear someone say they are unable to shoot a handgun worth a darn? Why is that? One reason shooting a handgun is difficult is the fact a handgun has a short sighting plane. This makes it more influenced by even the slightest movement. Most of the […]

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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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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.