Iowa Sportsman

Trapping Beaver Through Iowa Ice

Trapping Beaver Through Iowa Ice Trapping beaver beneath the ice during late winter is one of the most reliable ways to trap in Iowa. When lakes, ponds, and sloughs freeze over, beaver movements become easy to predict, their food supply is fixed in place, and their sign is simple to read if you know what […]

Big Buck Profile: The 2025 Gandy Buck

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 […]

Picking A New Pup

In Search of Perch

In Search of Perch By Steve Weisman It’s time to target yellow perch. Known as a school fish, it is easy to tell if the perch are starting to bite by searching for an armada of boats bunched closely together. Although perch populations are scattered throughout the Hawkeye state, the lakes of northern Iowa most […]

Go To Sets for Iowa Furbearers

Go To Sets for Iowa Furbearers Simple yet very effective… sets are the backbone of any successful trapline. I often read articles in print or online describing sets that seem unusually complex and time consuming to construct, which always makes me wonder how efficiently the author’s line runs. The fact is that successful trappers don’t […]

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 […]

What is Tip-Up Fishing?

What is Tip-Up Fishing? The sight of countless flags and indicators splashing color across the white expanse of the ice is one of my favorite things about ice fishing the Iowa Great Lakes. It’s a sight to see when you get a big group of dedicated fishermen fishing with tip-up lines. To me, this is […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]