Iowa Sportsman

The Basics of Waterfowl Spreads
The Basics of Waterfowl Spreads As the temps cool and the last of the leaves finish turning from brilliant yellows, reds, and oranges into a dull brown, the energy builds for the waterfowl hunters in Iowa. Iowa falls into the Central Mississippi Flyway and Iowa hunters are lucky enough to have access to nearly 50% […]
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Keeping Warm When the Hunt is Cold
Keeping Warm When the Hunt is Cold Normally you purchase one of the fair-weathered early muzzleloader tags. Historically it’s been such a good season to hunt, but this year you had an ill-timed work conference that ate up most of that choice week. Preferring the length of a muzzleloader season, you settled on hunting the […]
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Late Season Whitetail Tactics
Late Season Whitetail Tactics By Charlie Lueth Being Prepared It’s never too early in the year to get your gun out of its case and practice. Try some different bullet and powder combinations. You may find that your gun likes a different bullet than your buddies. Ultimately, your gun should make the decision for you […]
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MSU, partners working to improve Au Sable River resiliency
MSU, partners working to improve Au Sable River resiliency By Cameron Rudolph GRAYLING, Mich. — Situated in Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula is one of the country’s most revered sportfishing destinations. This is a Blue Ribbon trout stream, recognizing its high-quality water accessibility, capacity to withstand angling pressure, and the presence of ideal sportfishing species. This […]
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The Ice is Coming
The Ice is Coming By Dan Galusha Ice fishing season is upon is getting closer, and that means getting the tackle and equipment out from storage long enough before the first day it is to be used. Once it is pulled out a lot of us will say, “I don’t remember putting that away in […]
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Preparing for the Late Season Duck Migration
Preparing for the Late Season Duck Migration By Steve Weisman As we move into late October and early November, diehard waterfowlers are chomping at the bit to get into the fall migration. According to Orrin Jones Waterfowl Research Biologist for the Iowa DNR, the potential is there for a great waterfowl migration. “The count for […]
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Whitetail Rut Q&A
Whitetail Rut Q&A By Ricky Kinder 1. Is using a decoy worth the risk or hassle? It seems like a lot of work and risk to maybe have a buck come in closer. If so how do you maximize your results? Personally, I don’t hunt with a decoy setup. I’ve tried it in the past […]
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Tips for Success: Wood Ducks
Tips for Success: Wood Ducks By Ryan Eder Some may disagree with me, but a Drake Wood Duck is one of the prettiest birds on the planet in my opinion. Aside from being one of the best tasting ducks due to their acorn and berry (they do eat other things as well) diet; their feathers […]
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Big Bite – November Bass
Big Bite – November Bass By Ben Leal Last month we took a look at October bass fishing and the potential that exists to hook into some incredible catches. As October winds down air and water temps will begin to drop and both you and the bass will slow down. In Iowa the average temperatures […]
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When the Waterfowl Disappear
When the Waterfowl Disappear By Nick Johnson Iowa just seems to be in that perfect position on the continent that hardly lends itself to be a waterfowl hunting destination state. Maybe imperfect is the better word and many local hunters will refer to it as “The Fly Over State”. Okay, this might be a little […]
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