Iowa Sportsman

Sizzling Summer Smallies

Sizzling Summer Smallies By Todd Reed The hottest days of August can provide an Iowa angler the hottest smallmouth action of the year. Smallmouth bass are sometimes the forgotten bass of Iowa. While some anglers would choose to fish for only smallmouth bass for the rest of their lives, me included, most anglers catch the […]

Retrieving Freedom… Giving Hope to our Veterans!

Retrieving Freedom… Giving Hope to our Veterans! Courtesy of Scott Dewey Returning from a deployment in a combat zone should feel like a win, yet the limitations of a physical disability or post-traumatic stress can cause anything but a celebration. It can be a difficult struggle for many returning veterans to reintegrate back into the […]

Through the Eyes of the DNR

Through the Eyes of the DNR Top Ten Most Common Violations Seen During Hunting Seasons So, you went to school and you made it happen. After, you saw what you wanted, you jumped through the many hoops, and luckily became one of the few hired in this much desired profession you went through a lot […]

Snipe Hunting Defined

Snipe Hunting Defined By Nick Johnson Its dark out, you have your burlap sack and are prepared to make a series of loud, unnecessary vocalizations in hopes of luring the elusive snipe of lore you were sent out to capture. Your hoots and hollers shatter the dark silence of the forest, but no snipe shows. […]

Large 9-Tract Land Auction

What to Look for in a Hunting Lease

What to Look for in a Hunting Lease By Ryan Eder Let’s face it, finding places to hunt is becoming harder and harder to do. As a society, we are becoming more developed, and farm land is dissipating. For the remaining land, it is highly competitive to secure landowner permission to hunt their farms so […]

Your New Puppy Pt. 4: Starting our Gundog

Your New Puppy Pt. 4: Starting our Gundog By Ryan Eder Finally, we have reached part 4 of our mini-series covering how to bring our puppy home, what to focus on, and how to progress in our training program. At this point we are ready to introduce the electronic collar, begin introductory field work and […]

Rolling Your Own Ammo

Rolling Your Own Ammo It’s a beautiful sight looking down at rows and rows of shiny brass, all tipped with just the right little projectile that will make your rifle of choice shoot to its maximum capabilities! The finished project of hand loading new rounds is something that gives you a sense of satisfaction of […]

Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer

Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer By Steve Weisman The year was 1963, and I was 15 years old, a teenager who loved to play baseball and go to semi-pro baseball games and just kick back on a mid-summer’s evening. A big hit song of 1963 was Nat King Cole’s “Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer, and […]

Waterfowl Decoy Buyers Guide

Waterfowl Decoy Buyers Guide By Ryan Eder The waterfowl decoy business is competitive; there are so many choices and options where do you even begin? How do you know which brand to go with, what are (if any) the differences between each? Why are there different sizes? Do not overthink this purchase! I will simplify […]