Iowa Sportsman

The “Oops“ of Dog Training: Where We Go Wrong in Preparing for Hunting Season
The “Oops“ of Dog Training: Where We Go Wrong in Preparing for Hunting Season By Ryan Eder It is so easy to get caught up in the excitement of hunting with your young dog for the first time that we tend to overshadow the “to do list” that we must follow to fully prepare for […]
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Iowa Great Lakes Fishing Guide John Campbell Chosen to the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame
Iowa Great Lakes Fishing Guide John Campbell Chosen to the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame By Steve Weisman Among the list of inductees into the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame is longtime fishing educator, tournament angler and local fishing guide John Campbell. Campbell says with a smile, “It’s exciting and a great honor. […]
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Finish Your Trapline Strong
Finish Your Trapline Strong By JD Rogge Trapping season in Iowa begins each year on the first Saturday of November at 8AM, and runs through until the last day of January. On opening day trappers take to the fields, creeks, and ditches in numbers, excitement is high, and trappers are working hard to fill their […]
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For the Love of the Hunt
For the Love of the Hunt By Steve Weisman One of the most enjoyable parts of hunting pheasants is hunting with a good hunting dog. Without one, it’s like trying to find the proverbial “needle in a haystack,” especially when hunting some of the massive public hunting areas around here. Filled with lots of good […]
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The Bad Ice Angler
The Bad Ice Angler By Rod Woten Throughout my years in the ice fishing industry, I’ve fished more lakes than I can count from one end of the ice belt to the other. During this time, I’ve noticed several things that ice anglers do or don’t do that causes them to struggle. These things don’t […]
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Late Season Whitetails
Late Season Whitetails By Noel Gandy Time, as always, is fleeting. The time from deer season a year ago to opening day seemed to take forever. We waited with anticipation for October 1 to roll around after a long summer. Now, like a vapor, it is late December and deer season is fast closing in […]
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5 Ways To Improve Late Season Duck Hunting Success
5 Ways To Improve Late Season Duck Hunting Success By Nick Johnson 1. Scout Smart Scouting is imperative in any waterfowl hunting scenario. Its rare to shoot of limit of ducks without scouting for birds in specific areas, especially during late season. You want to try your best to be where the birds want to […]
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Backwater Hardwater
Backwater Hardwater By Rod Woten Ask any ice angler from Iowa what their favorite fishery is and you’ll hear names like Brushy Creek, Clear Lake, Spirit Lake or Okoboji. For good reason those are all near the top of everyone’s list. There’s another fishery on the state’s eastern seaboard that you don’t hear mentioned much. […]
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Key In On These Coyote Habits
Key In On These Coyote Habits By Troy Hoepker Coyotes are mysterious creatures certainly! The subject of folklore and myth, they represent the very epitome of stealth and sly. As secretive as they are however, they have routines and habits just like all animals that make them vulnerable to the hunter and trapper alike. Consistently […]
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Ice Fishing 2024 Predictions
Ice Fishing 2024 Predictions By Rod Woten As I sit here at my keyboard, the Dakotas are getting their first snowfall of the ‘24-25 season. Local temperatures have dropped from the seventies to the 50’s and overnight temps will be teasing the freezing mark. If this is truly the arrival of winter, then it has […]
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