From fishing to buffalo, Iowa offers sport enough for all

By Jan Clarke

Fishing for trout in a stream in Backbone State Park in northwest Delaware County

Iowa is an exciting, family-friendly place to hunt and fish!

You’ll find year-round angling action in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs throughout Iowa. There are roughly 150 different species of fish within the state; common catches include catfish, bullhead, walleye, northern pike, bass, perch, bluegill, and crappie. In northeast Iowa, you can hook rainbow, brown and brook trout. Check the Iowa DNR’s Fish & Fishing.

Whether you shoot a bow, shotgun, or muzzleloader, Iowa’s natural areas provide plenty of opportunities to hunt deer, turkey, waterfowl, and upland wildlife, including pheasant, quail, and cottontail rabbit. Check out the Iowa DNR’s Hunting information.

Looking for bigger game? A few Iowa outfitters offer buffalo hunting on private lands. Opportunities to bag more exotic game, such as wild boar, elk, Spanish goats, and Texas Dall sheep, also can be found.

Iowa’s trappable wildlife includes coyote, mink, muskrat, weasel, badger, red and gray fox, raccoon, and beaver. You also may trap otter and bobcat, but you’ll need to pay strict attention to the daily and possession limits, as well as the quota, which determines the end of the season.

For details on Iowa’s rules and regulations for hunting and fishing, including open seasons, resident and non-resident licenses, and trout stamps, contact the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Exotic game hunting

• North Star Gameland Hunting Preserve (buffalo and exotics)
• Hawkeye Buffalo Ranch
• Dreesman Buffalo Ranch