Iowa Sportsman
Deer Hunting Secrets From Dad
Deer Hunting Secrets from Dad By Drew Henry I was raised hunting white-tailed deer with my dad in eastern Montana on the Milk River, primarily from a tree stand. My hundreds of mornings and nights spent patiently waiting for that bruiser to walk past me have resulted in some great successes, even more great mistakes, […]
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Winter Waterfowl: Keys To Success
Winter Waterfowl: Keys To Success By Ryan Eder Hunting waterfowl during the winter is a true test of a hunter’s grit. Certainly we face challenges throughout the entire season, but the later weeks in the Midwest waterfowl season present some of the most challenging, yet favorable conditions to a successful duck or goose hunt. With […]
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Early Ice Panfish
Early Ice Panfish By Ben Leal Anglers throughout Iowa keep a keen eye on the calendar each year, especially those anglers affectionately known as “ice heads”. Iowa’s average temperatures begin to dip in October and continue the downward trend throughout the month. Halloween paves the way for November to roll in and Thanksgiving is not […]
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Coyotes Late Season Dirt Hole Success
Coyotes Late Season Dirt Hole Success By Larry Sills Late season coyote dirt hole trapping utilizes a #3 or #4 size trap, a stake, lures, urine, and bait. Throughout the decades this method has proved itself as a reliable method to catch late season coyotes in Iowa. The reason being is its versatility. The lure […]
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Top 5 Rifles for Hunting Iowa
Top 5 Rifles for Hunting Iowa It’s that time of the year that many Iowa deer hunters dream about. Before, we consider a few of the top choices for rifle cartridges, we should first review Iowa’s deer regulations for rifles. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources rules for the gun deer and youth/disabled season state […]
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Snowmobiling Northern Iowa
Snowmobiling Northern Iowa When winter descends upon Iowa, it brings with it a serene beauty and a world of outdoor possibilities. While the Hawkeye State may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of snowmobiling and winter exploration, it harbors a treasure trove of experiences for those willing to embrace […]
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Patterning Trophy Bucks Post-Rut: Whitetails 365
Whitetails 365: Patterning Trophy Bucks Post-Rut As bowhunters, we wait all year for the Iowa rut. We hunt hard, see bucks chasing does around in open fields. We see a lot of deer on their feet moving. Anything can happen during this time. As December approaches, the rut winds down. Deer change their activity level […]
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Finding Coyotes before Breeding Season
Finding Coyotes before Breeding Season There’s an old myth that implies coyotes are almost impossible to kill during the months of December and January because of the constant intrusion and disruption from the orange army of deer hunters, which invade their territory during that time. The theory suggests that coyotes become strictly nocturnal and have […]
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Three Tips for a Successful Muzzleloader Season
Three Tips for a Successful Muzzleloader Season One of the most exciting times to harvest a deer is in the snow, during the late muzzleloader season. It’s during this time that I eagerly retrieve my trusty muzzleloader and go on a mission to harvest does. These does, will be transformed into a batch of mouthwatering […]
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Infared or Thermal for Coyote Hunting: Scoping out Success
Scoping out Success: Infared or Thermal for Coyote Hunting In Iowa, we see a lot of rules and regulation changes every year. One of the more recent rules has changed the way we can coyote hunt. According to Iowa’s regulations as outlined in the 2023 DNR rules and regulations: “A person may use an infrared […]
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