iowa

Ice Out Iowa Fish

The Thaw: Ice Out Habits of Iowa Game Fish

The Thaw: Ice Out Habits of Iowa Game Fish The disappearance of ice come spring is a sad time for those of us who love to ice fish. We begrudgingly put away the sleds, augers, and shacks and give one final farewell to all the gear until next winter. But alas, open water season is […]

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Spring Food Plots on a Budget: Whitetails 365

Spring Food Plots on a Budget: Whitetails 365 In March, I wrote about how I use greens and grains to cover all my bases when putting in food plots. Soybeans have long been a staple for me because they are easy to grow and can be a great late season attraction. Then I went over […]

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Best Tackle for Catching More Walleye

Best Tackle for Catching More Walleye As spring approaches, Iowa fishermen pack away ice fishing tackle and prepare for spring fishing and walleye spawning. As water temperatures warm, walleye feed heavily to prepare for the spawn. During this time walleye hardly eat at all and then after their spawning period they are ready to replenish […]

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The Lone Star Tick and Alpha-Gal

The Lone Star Tick and Alpha-Gal You may think this is a story involving two characters in heroic quests in the outdoors.  I can assure you, there is nothing fun about this duo. Anyone that spends very much time outside understands what it is to have a tick bite.  In Iowa, we usually deal with […]

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Henry’s First Turkey Hunt. Part II

Henry’s First Turkey Hunt. Part II When the April 7th youth season opened, we were ready. We hunted hard that first weekend, getting up early and staying out late, but the birds nor weather cooperated. I was impressed by Henry’s patience and stick-to-itiveness. He was a real trooper, especially on Sunday. Sunday started in the […]

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Iowa walleye and musky fishing

Improving Walleye and Musky Fishing in Iowa

Improving Walleye and Musky Fishing in Iowa: What Anglers Need to Know How is Iowa improving walleye and musky fishing? Iowa is improving walleye and musky fishing through: Strategic stocking programs in lakes and rivers Fish barriers to reduce escapement Tagging and tracking studies (PIT tags and telemetry) Habitat and population monitoring Public participation in […]

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The Pontier Buck

The Pontier Buck

The Pontier Buck November 5th, 2016 is a day I’ll never forget. It all started in July 2016 when I first laid eyes on the deer that would forever leave an imprint on my mind. At this time of the year, I had been putting out trail cameras to figure what bucks had made it […]

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Hunting Shed Antlers

The 5 W’s of Hunting Shed Antlers

The 5 W’s of Hunting Shed Antlers Well that’s a wrap. The hunger games between man and the antlered beasts of the timber have come to a close. For many hunters, a nice trophy set of antlers will be boasted upon their return from the taxidermist. For others, the tears of agony are drying up […]

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ice fishing speed fishing technique

Ice Fishing Strategy for Active Fish

The Need for Speed: Ice Fishing Strategy for Active Fish Sometimes Mike and I call it our hurry-up offense. It’s that mode we go into when time is short during a tournament and we need a few more kicker fish…or we need to finish out our limit. Also, it’s a technique that Mike Riley, my […]

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Tips for Trapping Coyotes

Through the Eyes of A Coyotes

Through the Eyes of a Coyotes “Where did he go?” How many times have I wondered that about a coyote that has seemingly just disappeared from the face of the earth? I swear, nothing in the world has the ability to disappear into thin air better than a coyote. Maybe that’s why Native Americans used […]

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