Iowa Sportsman

Whiskers and Ditty Poles

Whiskers and Ditty Poles By Brad Durick One of my fondest memories of setting bank poles, or ditty poles as many call them, took place on the Des Moines River two summers ago. My friends Josh, Jarred and I fished for two nights out of Jarred’s big twenty foot flat-bottom and camped along the bank. […]

Change with the Weather to Catch More Fishing this Fall

Change with the Weather to Catch More Fishing this Fall By Todd Reed Fall has arrived here in Iowa. There have been many signs of this for quite some time; shorter days, crisp morning air, the turning of the leaves and the mysterious fog that settles in over lakes and ponds. Everything around us is […]

Early Season Buck, Save your Time?

Early Season Buck, Save your Time? By Dan Johnson October 1st is already here and that means thousands of us are hitting the timber in hopes of either filling the freezer with organic venison or chasing big old nasty bucks in the fingers, draws, and river bottoms throughout this great state. For me, this year […]

Absolute Land Auctions

The Late Season Dilemma

The Late Season Dilemma It’s now the late season. You’ve hunted hard all fall and winter and yet you find yourself sitting here in the timber with an open tag. The snow is deeper, the cold wind is biting, and maybe you’ve spent too many hours away from your “honey do” list at home. Ending […]

Water Conditions and How to Fish Them

Water Conditions and How to Fish Them That crisp air that we feel each morning is a sign of things to come, fall is definitely in the air around the state of Iowa. This can be a welcome sign for hunters, hikers and anglers ready for cooler temperatures. The change in weather can also bring […]

Calling All Rabbit Hunters

Calling All Rabbit Hunters The hunters in my family learned to hunt small game long before pheasants or deer. Our education began by plinking targets with Dad’s walnut stocked Marlin 56 lever-action .22 until we could consistently hit a nickel tucked into a hickory trunk at 30 feet. Once we passed this test, we graduated […]

Calling Coyotes and Bobcats in Iowa

Calling Coyotes and Bobcats in Iowa The trail of coyote tracks were as plain as dominoes in the hard packed snow weaving from one point of interest to the next as we followed them to our hunting location. It was clear that a pair of coyotes had hounded their way down this two-track a day […]

Three Strategies for Whitetail this October: Whitetails 365

Three Strategies for Whitetail this October: Whitetails 365 Whitetails 365, if you haven’t noticed already, is mostly about off season habitat and food plotting. Mixed in are some articles about buying land, or an article mixed in here or there answering reader questions. But October is here now, the season is open. It’s time to […]

Fishing Big Spirit Lake For The Fall Double Header

Fishing Big Spirit Lake: For The Fall Double Header Fall is always a great time for fishing. The months of September and October offer stretches of mild weather and beautiful colors as the trees turn a myriad of colors, and best of all, the fish are putting on that fall “feed bag” and are on […]