The Iowa Sportsman

Summer Work That Pays Off in Bow Season

Summer Work That Pays Off in Bow Season Early mornings in the turkey woods are beginning to give way to graduation celebrations, long afternoons on the lawn mower, gardens, and ball parks for yours truly. I would like to think that this “season” of life that falls between springtime gobblers and fall whitetails would be […]

Calming A Hyper Gun Dog

Calming A Hyper Gun Dog We’ve all experienced a hyper gun dog. If we’re honest, there have been times when the dog is ours. A hyper dog can be a lot of things: annoying, out of control, disruptive, destructive, exhausting, etc. BUT a hyper dog can also be led and taught to manage their energy, […]

Chase the Bite: Early Season

Chase the Bite: Early Season Walleye, Pike & Crappie in Iowa As May approaches, every angler starts thinking about early-season fishing. Whether you pull your sleeping boat out of the garage or simply slide a couple of fishing poles in your car, you’re ready to find some active fish. The question remains: where do I […]

Springtime Panfish-Perch, Crappie, and Bluegill

Springtime Panfish-Perch, Crappie, and Bluegill Spring is in full swing here in Iowa, and what can be more pleasant a reminder than the sound of birds, the sight of flowers blooming, and the feel of a warm afternoon? I can think of at least one more thing…Panfish! I can remember it like yesterday, our family […]

Pre-Spawn Bass

Pre-Spawn Bass One of my all-time seasons for bass fishing is when the water temperatures begin to climb and bass start making their move from deeper winter homes to shallow water where spawning will take place. The transition really begins as water temperatures rise to around 48-58 degrees. Both largemouth and smallmouth bass will start […]

Keeping Kids Engaged in Turkey Hunting

Keeping Kids Engaged in Turkey Hunting The morning air was cool and damp that May morning. The kind where you can hear your boots brush the grass as the dew covers your boots. He carried no gun, and that was on purpose. This was his first turkey season. He had the excitement, but today, he […]

Shed Antlers: Do they really tell us anything?

Shed Antlers: Do they really tell us anything? March 5, 2021 was a very special day in my time spent afield. I had taken a walk through the timber to “get out of my own head” and to decompress from a long work week. I was looking for shed antlers which was an activity that […]

Building a Farm Pond to Hold More Wildlife

Building a Farm Pond to Hold More Wildlife Iowa isn’t known for vast hydrological opportunities, but most people who grew up in rural parts of the state are familiar with farm ponds. Whether it’s fond memories of catching bass and bluegill on a hot summer day or watching cattle wade in to cool off, most […]

Range Safety Tips

Range Safety Tips In 2002, I was twelve years old when my parents signed me up for a hunter’s safety program. By then, I had already spent plenty of time tagging along behind my dad and uncles, trailing through timber, listening watching, and soaking up everything I could. Hunting had a way of grabbing hold […]

Building a Foundation for the Field

Building a Foundation for the Field Anymore, “basic” seems to have a bad rap. It isn’t glamorous. It doesn’t make the highlight reels. It’s often the thing we ignore, rush, or cheat. It seems lame. With a clearer perspective, we can see the value of “basic”. It’s what brings the glam to glamorous. It’s the […]

1 2 3 Older »