Iowa Hunt & Fish - Sportsmen's Empire

On this episode of the Iowa Hunt & Fish podcast, Dan is once again joined by Tom Peplinski to talk about food plots and other habitat management projects. The guys kick things off by discussing Tom's food plot strategy along with how he makes his finial decision on when he will actually plant his seed.  They talk about other food plots tasks like applying fertilizer, spraying for weeds, and other maintenance. 

They also break down a...

It's spring time here in Iowa and beside those who are chasing gobbling toms, there's a different group of people scouring the country side looking for delicious edible mushrooms. On the phone with Dan is mushroom expert  Mike Krebill of Southeast Iowa to discuss his passion in fungus. Mike explains the condition that are needed to grow mushrooms, where you might be able to find them, and other interesting facts about mushrooms.

Io...

Turkey season is here for us Iowans and this means it's time to get in the timber and play a game of cat and mouse with one of the dumbest or smartest birds in North America.  On this episode of the Iowa Sportsman, Dan is  joined by Jonathan Payne to discuss several turkey hunting strategies. The guys discuss everything from roosting birds, calling strategies in different scenarios, when to move vs. when to wait it out, and much mo...

On this episode of the Iowa Sportsman, Dan talks with long time friend Brent Rich about the upcoming Iowa turkey seasons. Several years ago on some public land in Northern  Iowa was the kick off of both Dan and Brent turkey hunting carriers. The guys break down some simple hunting strategies that they implement throughout the season as well as what they do when the hunting gets tough or they are dealing with unresponsive toms. 

With...

On this episode of the Iowa Sportsman, Dan is joined by Adam Janke of Iowa State University to discuss the impacts of farming practices on wildlife. The guys discuss topics like the loss of wetlands and grass habitat, the impacts of fertilizer and insecticides, the footprint that agriculture and livestock leaves on the ecosystem, and much more. This is a very informative episode with an educated guest that drops a ton of knowledge ...

On this episode of the Iowa Sportsman, Dan is joined by John Mulligan to talk about his North America Turkey Hunting Grand Slam  from 2020. John kicks off the episode by explaining why he loves turkey hunting and why the launch of a new turkey call business led to him taking on the task of completing the Grand Slam. The North American Grand Slam consists of four different turkey species that include the Eastern, Merriam's, Rio Gran...

On this episode of the Iowa Sportsman, Dan is joined by Drake Lamb to talk about he excitement of shed hunting. The guys talk about what makes shed hunting so much fun, what finding  a shed could mean for your hunting strategy, and using that information to see how deer use terrain throughout the landscape. Shed hunting can be an awesome opportunity to get new hunters interested in the outdoors as well as the kids.

Iowa Sportsman i...

Just take a peek out your window or look a the thermometer and you will realize very quickly that the current weather conditions Iowa are not very pleasing to even the toughest of outdoorsmen. On this episode of the Iowa Sportsman Podcast, Dan has an informative discussion with Iowa DNR wildlife biologist Jim Coffey about how bad winter weather affects wildlife. They guys talk about how conditions like deep snow, ice, and cold temp...

On this episode of the Iowa Sportsman, Dan is joined by Ryan Graden to have a conversation about things we can being doing right now that will help lead to success in the deer woods come October 1st. They get in to the details of how scouting while snow is on the ground can be a roadmap to deer movement, refining their archery skills, and using this opportunity to get their family more involved in the outdoors.

Iowa Sportsman is Po...

If you're a Snow Goose hunter, it's time to start getting excited and getting prepared for the upcoming migration. On this episode of the Iowa Sportsman, Dan discusses Snow Goose hunting strategy with Jake Mittag. The guys discuss the loosened regulations, decoy configuration, hitting the migration at the right time, and so much more. If you are an avid Snow Goose hunter then this is the episode for you. Enjoy!

Iowa Sportsman is Po...

It's official, it's ice fishing season. Todays guest, Steve Weisman hops on the podcast to discuss the current  ice conditions on the major Iowa lakes. He relives his past couple trips to the lake and talks about the strategies that he used to to get on the pan fish a perch. He also talks about the process he goes through when the fish are not biting and how he changes his presentation. 

Steve also touches on some current ice fishin...

On this episode of the Iowa Sportsman, Dan is once again joined by Tom Peplinski to talk about late season deer hunting. They discuss how deer behavior changes after the breeding is over and again once gun hunting pressure is introduced. Tom talks about how keeping pressure on your property as low as possible during the first shotgun season can make it an oasis for deer and increasing your odds for the second season. He also talks ...

Here we are over half way through November and many of us have either tagged out or have put family and work back on the top of the priority list. With the shotgun season coming fast, there is still plenty of time to get out in the treestand or blind with your bow and experience the tail end of the rut. 

On this episode of the Iowa Sportsman, Dan talks about the strategies that he has used in the past to finish out the rut. Dan cove...

The first week of the rut is over, and although there are still a couple weeks left, the second week of the rut is a little different. Depending on when does come in to heat on the properties you hunt, the deer movement could start to slow down. But, don't get worried, this is the time of the rut where big mature bucks are on their feet and looking for their next breeding opportunity.

On this episode of the Iowa Sportsman, Dan share...

Even in a state like Iowa, some of us may never seven see a buck over 170" let alone over 200". On this episode of the Iowa Sportsman, Dan talks to Tom Peplinski about his recent 207" monster buck. The guys discuss when Tom first connected with this buck and the strategy he put in place in order to get a chot at killing him. Tom explains that how he identified the buck in mid August and watched him maintain a consistent bed to feed...

It's that time of year where we are all getting ready to head to the woods and waterways of Iowa to trap and chase wild game. This means that it's very important to get a friendly reminder about any updates to the rules and regulations we all need to follow while out in the field. On this episode of the Iowa Sportsman, Dan is joined by Dan Henderson with the Iowa DNR to talk about hunting rules and regulations.

Iowa Sportsman is Po...

As the temperatures start to drop the fishing across the state of Iowa begins to heat up. Whether you are throwing crank bates for smallmouth bass in deeper water or a spinner bait for largemouth bass in the last remaining weeds off shore, it's the perfect time of year to get on the boat and get your line wet. On this episode of the Iowa Sportsman, Dan is joined by avid Bass Fisherman, Chancy Walters, to discuss fall fishing strate...