New to this corn thing

[FishingWebGuy]

This year I have a chance to hunt this 80 acres (outlined in orange).

My initial stand ideas are indicated by A and B but honestly I have no idea where to setup.

I will hunt all season. My schedule allows for weekday hunting between 9:30 and sunset. And weekend hunting sunrise to about 10AM with an occasional all day weekend hunt.

I am guessing everything changes when the corn comes out. I'm thinking that any travel patterns I can find now (haven't found any yet) will completely change with rut and corn harvest.

Unfortunately the farmer was ripping small trees out of the area up until about a week ago. So there has been a lot of equipment in and out of the area. Not sure if the deer in farm country care about equipment moving or not.

Along the stream gets a little swampy with some nice tall grass. Whenever I see tall grass I think of deer bedding. But of course whenever I see a tree I think there is a deer behind it.

Any insight on stand locations, hunting times and what to expect before/after harvest and before/after rut is greatly appreciated. I am used to hunting timber country where I can't see more than 40yrds in any direction and really have no idea what to do with all this open space that is going to change drastically in a couple months.

Also, I do have cameras at A and B which have been out for about 2 weeks but I haven't checked them yet.

I am also planning to sit when the beans and corn come out. Thinking that is a good idea for deer moving.

TIA for any insight.

[HNTNBUX]

Inside corner of the beans early.

The point on the north west corner, either side, and any one of those islands in the corn have potential.

[FishingWebGuy]

Inside corner of the beans early.

The point on the north west corner, either side, and any one of those islands in the corn have potential.

Thanks HNTNBUX. Unfortunately the islands in the corn have been pulled out by the farmer. I think anything not tillable keeps him awake at night.

Are any of these spots better morning or evening? I read in another thread to stay away from the field edges in the morning. Not sure how to do that since everything seems to be a field edge unless I setup in the middle of a field.

[eyeguy 54]

If north is the top I'd set up in the trees across the stream above your little arrow. west north east breeze would work. :>) Or right between A and B.

[Jameson]

What do you have there, 7-10 acres of non-ag field? Where do you access from?

[FishingWebGuy]

If north is the top I'd set up in the trees across the stream above your little arrow. west north east breeze would work. :>) Or right between A and B.

Yea, North is up

[FishingWebGuy]

What do you have there, 7-10 acres of non-ag field? Where do you access from?

Following the property line on the North from the East (B marker) until the non-tillable gets thin to the west, is about 300 yds. And from the B marker south is about 120 yards of non-tillable.

For access, there is a field road following the stream from the SE through the corn. It would be a nice easy walk from the road (about 700yds).

I'm tempted to go talk to the neighbor to the North to see if I can hunt his woods also -- this would give me inside corner access to the beans.

[Archerysniper]

In between A&B where the woods turn from east west to north on the property line, I would shy away from A looks like the best bedding area from the pic's. That would also be a good opener stand if the beans are still really green otherwise option #2 would be to the west property line catching the comeing from area A to the alfalfa this will depend on which stage the beans are in.

Any white oaks on the property, any acorns will normally keep them out of the fields till last shooting light.

[RumRiverRat]

If the beans are still green, doubtful for archery opener, the deer will be pounding them.

Deer love to enter fields on an inside corner, more so if it is a high spot.

I would get out and walk the entire area looking for main trails, secondary trails.

You have Food, water and bedding cover in a small area. Just need to figure out where the deer enter the fields and where the access the stream for water.

Inside corner access to the bean field would be great, looks like thicker cover.

What is the terrain like?

Mostly flat in the non tillable?

[FishingWebGuy]

That would also be a good opener stand if the beans are still really green

[FishingWebGuy]

If the beans are still green, doubtful for archery opener, the deer will be pounding them.

Deer love to enter fields on an inside corner, more so if it is a high spot.

[Jameson]

Hunt the NE side up to about Oct. 20. Than move to that NW corner.

[FishingWebGuy]

Hunt the NE side up to about Oct. 20. Than move to that NW corner.

Is this because of the beans? Or based on when they will be eating the corn?

Not sure if this makes a difference but the bean field to the North runs all the way West passed the alfalfa field. So there is actually another inside corner to the bean field on the NW property corner.

[Jameson]

Is this because of the beans?...

No. I figured the beans ran the entire north boundary. It's more due to your access, and the terrain. The deer are going to start to know where you are coming from. They likely won't want to bed too near your access. Prior to the rut, I'd hunt near your access, the NE part of the property. Hopefully the deer take to bedding in your NW corner, more likely that finger to the NW of you, and the property to the north of you. When the rut kicks in, intercept the bucks in the thin woodlines connecting those pieces on the NW part of the property as they cruise the bedding areas.

[harvey lee]

I would find their bedding areas and hunt the trail to and fro the food source and water.

I would not get to close to their bedding area but one should find a few good trails and sign leading to and fro.

I would also hunt the trails say 30-50 yards or so back from the field edge so you can get a shoot before dark. If you can find their staging area then all the better.

[Archerysniper]

During the summer and into archery season if the bean plants are green they will eat them, once they turn yellow they will stop. They are not eating the bean or the bean pod right now they are eating the green plant, they will not eat the beans or bean pod till they are completely dried which isn't till the middle of October.

[RumRiverRat]

The whole bean plant is being eaten right now.

Lots of protein in them until they turn yellow.

Keep it simple on stands.

Find a funnel or something that forces the deer down a particular trail.

Set up on trails between food, bedding cover and water.

[deerminator]

I would try and set-up in a spot(s) that will be good for various points throughout the season. For instance, yesterday to set up a blind, I walked the tractor tracks of a soybean field that was up to my chest at points to get to a low spot at the other end of the field where I'm hoping the beans will stay a little greener than the rest. Plus this "edge of the field features a wooded ravine with a creek behind me, which my blind is sunk slightly into. And I've got corn behind that and a swamp and woods off to the left. So I'm at a field edge with beans in front, woods, water and corn behind me and slough and grassland off to my left. Should be traveled all season by deer no matter what they're eating given the variety.

BTW, this is hard spot to get to. But it will be even harder to get out without spooking deer so this will be a few times a season spot when the conditions are right. If I did get a buck, I'm hoping it would be later so the fields are clear and we could get the fourwheeler in without wrecking any crops.

[Bear55]

Personally I like to hunt the bedding areas, I would work the edges of the bedding area being careful not to let your scent blow into the beds. I would also mix in some field edge hunting in the evenings only. The most important thing I would advize is to not over hunt or over pressure the deer so you don't burn the place out. Also move around a little, deer hunters are far more easy to pattern then deer if they keep going to the same stand over and over.

Too bad about those islands in the corn, those could have been killer spots. They still might be good or even potentila bedding areas but you would need to hunt from the ground.

[bigbucks]

There's got to be some obvious crossing spots on that stream. Fairly close to the field near one of those seems good to me. It would seem to me like a natural funnel down where the wooded cover gets the farthest South right at that stream & there's some corn again I believe in that little bubble that comes in from the East. Probably have to hunt evenings there with a wind with quite a bit of North in it.

I also like that little strip of trees running along the stream, primarily on the East side of it I believe. You'd have to see where the trails are & plan for wind accordingly. I'd plan for deer going South in the evening toward the corn & North in the morning away from it, but it's entirely possible you find out exactly the opposite. I personally think until they're pressure a lot they primarily only bed in the corn at night. I'm not saying I'm right, that just my belief.