Iowa Sportsman

Tip Up Fishing 101

Tip Up Fishing 101 When you break ice fishing down to a minimal level, a tip-up is about as simple and straightforward as it gets. This style of fishing dates back an awful long time and has, if anything, gained in popularity over the past two decades. Tip-ups come in a wide variety of styles […]

Using Your Eyes to Catch Fish

Using Your Eyes to Catch Fish My favorite ice fishing occurs when I can sight fish, actually watch the action below the ice with my own eyes. To me, it’s the ultimate. To be able to watch the fish approach the lure, to see its response to the presentation and then (hopefully) the resulting strike […]

Winter Training Drills for Gundogs

Winter Training Drills for Gundogs Do not let the winter season be an excuse to not train your dog. Are you catching onto my theme this year? There are several things we can do with our dogs during the winter months (aside from hunting) to not only keep our dogs sharp, but continue to advance […]

The Iowa Red Fox

The Red Fox Cunning, agile and charismatic are just a few of the adjectives that describe the Red fox. The largest member of the true foxes, the Red fox is a widespread and very adaptable species that takes up residency as one of Iowa’s most efficient predators. History The Red fox is Eurasian in origin […]

Winter Panfish Preview on the Iowa Great Lakes

Winter Panfish Preview on the Iowa Great Lakes With the entire open water panfishing so outstanding on the Iowa Great Lakes, ice fishermen can hardly wait to see what the hard water season will bring. Big Spirit, East Okoboji, Upper Gar, Minnewashta and West Okoboji consistently produced excellent panfishing action all summer. From perch, to […]

Waterfowl Biologist Orrin Jones – Podcast

How to Find the Perfect Hunting Buddy

How to Find the Perfect Hunting Buddy Vivek Murthy, a former surgeon general of the United States, has said in recent years that the most prevalent health issue in the country is not cancer or heart disease or obesity. It is isolation. Murthy’s comment is good news to us who are overweight; finding a friend […]

For the Love of the Hunt

For the Love of the Hunt 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 habitat, I’ve often […]

Key In On These Coyote Habits

Key In On These Coyote Habits 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 taking coyotes by […]

Early Season Ice Tactics that will Fill your Bucket

Early Season Ice Tactics that will Fill your Bucket 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 […]