Iowa Articles

Iowa is set to ban trail cameras on state-managed public hunting lands in 2027, sparking debate over fair chase, hunter ethics, and crowded public ground.

There are no entries for wild turkeys in the Boone and Crockett record book, but if there were, this gigantic gobbler from Iowa would qualify.

Hunting over a DSD Posturing Buck decoy, at a range of only 10 yards, Jay Gregory hammers a big Iowa whitetail with his recurve.

Here’s how to make the most of your next DIY Hawkeye State bowhunting adventure.

Some boat anglers have no clue when it comes to common courtesy while fishing. Here’s proof.

The whitetail rut is a magical time to be in the woods — especially in Iowa. And you won’t believe the size of this palmated buck, which walks directly under the bowhunter.

In the author’s opinion, the video by Jared Mills of mature whitetail bucks feeding — and fighting! — on January 9th in an unpicked soybean field — during a southern Iowa blizzard — is the best he’s ever seen. And yes, Jared finally arrows the biggest buck.

When it comes to rare encounters in the whitetail woods, this one must rank very near the top.

The Iowa DNR and Legislature changed rules to allow hunters, trappers and landowners to pursue raccoons year-round, with some restrictions.

Using trail cameras to capture the reverse angle view of wild turkeys, Ted Miller finally kills an Iowa gobbler after missing twice — once with bow, once with gun.

Iowa coyote hunters kill an adult female mountain lion known to state wildlife officials.

The author provides suggestions on how to improve your “grip and grin” whitetail photos in the field.

Late in the rut, Jacob Miner rattles in a 190-class Iowa whitetail and then makes a perfect shot with his recurve.

This world-class buck has an interesting story, and it involves two bowhunters who host different YouTube hunting shows.

During fall 2021, well-known bowhunter Bill Winke avoided spooking Iowa whitetails after dark and before dawn by sleeping in the woods.

Tagging a mature whitetail buck during late-season is usually a challenge, and that’s especially true on public land.

The rut can cause whitetail bucks to act in unpredictable ways, as this bowhunter learns on a mid-November afternoon.

Black bears from the neighboring states of Minnesota and Wisconsin are spilling into northeast Iowa — maybe to stay.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources surveys the state’s whitetails by using spotlights. This conservation work is funded by excise taxes paid by archery, firearms and ammunition manufacturers through the Pittman-Robertson Act.

If you want a legitimate chance at taking a world-class whitetail buck, you must hunt where such bucks exist.

Three cross-country bowhunts to Iowa over many years finally give the author the chance of a lifetime on a massive buck — and he’s unable to draw his compound! And then the situation gets worse.

In our ongoing series of our best and worst hunting stories, GVO President Derrick Nawrocki recounts his excellent bear hunting trip to Idaho and a tough outing in the Iowa deer stand.

New research indicates that the nation’s largest private lands conservation program, the USDA Conservation Reserve Program can magnify its impacts on bobwhite quail, grassland birds and other wildlife if applied to the landscape at scale in locations already targeted by complementary management activities.

Want to waylay a whopper whitetail? Consider playing the draw in these three whitetail hotbeds.

Are you prepared to pack all of your belongings, load the family and move for better whitetail hunting? If so, here’s a little insight into making such a move.

This intense video of using a chainsaw to free locked whitetail bucks definitely falls into the “do NOT try this at home” category.

In the heart of big buck country, two Iowa school districts understand the importance of teaching their youth about firearm and hunter safety.

Living a humble — but busy — life in southwest Iowa, Jimmy Lawrence might be the most talented fish taxidermist in the country.

Officials say hunting is a necessary step to control the city's local goose population of an estimated 2,000 birds.

Iowa governor signs bill to immediately legalize suppressors in the Hawkeye State.