Windy and corn in the fields for opener.

[BryanL]

Looks to be a really windy opener paired with a lot of corn in the fields on Saturday. Might have to try some stalking in the corn fields this year. Anyone ever have any luck with this method? I'm thinking getting on the downwind side and peeking into each row as you work through the field.

[96trigger]

Yep, I hate the wind more than anything while hunting, and fishing for that matter.

[Fever]

Never tried that method of looking into corn rows from down wind side but it sounds like it could work. I'd sit still in the am and pm hours though. As far as wind goes - yeah I'd rather it me less than the 23mph the forcast shows for Saturday but at least the wind from the West works for me. In areas like I hunt (deep thick oak ravines) - I'd like to hope that heavy wind can / could push deer into these areas and increase travel in the lower areas as well as carry my scent away without much swirl and downdraft as I sit on top.

[nofishfisherman]

No corn near me so thats not an issue. The wind I'm hoping works in my favor. A west wind works well for me to carry my scent back the way I walked in and leaves the trails free of my scent.

I'm also tucked back in a pine low land with dense groves of pine mixed in some low wet lands and an occasional small oak hill top. I'm hoping the deer are back in the pine and low land hanging out sheltered from the wind. if thats the case it should be a good opener for me.

[zepman]

I've hunted the corn this way in the past...great way to hunt on windy days. It can be very effective and I/we've harvested many deer this way. I will say this...you better be ready for an up close and personal interaction with the deer in the corn you're hunting. Most often the deer are bedding in one of their most secure settings they have and if quiet, you can literally walk right up on them. I've been nose to nose with three different mature bucks in situations like this and to me, it's very unnerving...exciting, yes, but holy $hit it'll make you check your shorts at days end.

Get in there...be ready for a quick shot and have some fun!! Good luck!!

[pikerliker]

No corn near me so thats not an issue. The wind I'm hoping works in my favor. A west wind works well for me to carry my scent back the way I walked in and leaves the trails free of my scent.

I'm also tucked back in a pine low land with dense groves of pine mixed in some low wet lands and an occasional small oak hill top. I'm hoping the deer are back in the pine and low land hanging out sheltered from the wind. if thats the case it should be a good opener for me.

From what I've read that sounds like the perfect set up for hunting windy days.

[pikerliker]

zepman your post made me laugh out loud! I'd bet you would have to check your shorts! I had a good friend years ago shoot a big 8 point that way but he wasn't as close as it sounds like you were.

[BryanL]

I've hunted the corn this way in the past...great way to hunt on windy days. It can be very effective and I/we've harvested many deer this way. I will say this...you better be ready for an up close and personal interaction with the deer in the corn you're hunting. Most often the deer are bedding in one of their most secure settings they have and if quiet, you can literally walk right up on them. I've been nose to nose with three different mature bucks in situations like this and to me, it's very unnerving...exciting, yes, but holy $hit it'll make you check your shorts at days end.

Get in there...be ready for a quick shot and have some fun!! Good luck!!

Thanks for the encouragement. If you get time would you mind posting your strategy? I might be overthinking it but chances are I'm missing something really obvious.

[Rubber Ducky]

About ten years ago I was hunting a corn field for the first time, this way. My buddy was the farmer so he had seen two big bucks go into it every night.

We started out slow, wind was wiping about 30 miles an hour. As we walked in from each corner we would zig zag go in and then out. Then that's when it happen. I walked right on to a 8 pointer laying down I didn't even see him my one foot stepped right on him. This deer jumped straight up and came right at me.

I"ll tell you, I have never been so scared. I ran as fast as I could. I'm 260, 6'1 and ran like a little B. I thought I was a good hunter but was not ready for that at all. Long story short I wont do it again!

[Musky Buck]

No doubt forecast yesterday 31 high, now today 41 and west winds, but happy the corn is up, will hold does which will bring in bucks, 240 irrigated corn along the swamp, can't wait to see what develops.

[TruthWalleyes]

About ten years ago I was hunting a corn field for the first time, this way. My buddy was the farmer so he had seen two big bucks go into it every night.

We started out slow, wind was wiping about 30 miles an hour. As we walked in from each corner we would zig zag go in and then out. Then that's when it happen. I walked right on to a 8 pointer laying down I didn't even see him my one foot stepped right on him. This deer jumped straight up and came right at me.

I"ll tell you, I have never been so scared. I ran as fast as I could. I'm 260, 6'1 and ran like a little B. I thought I was a good hunter but was not ready for that at all. Long story short I wont do it again!

That's funny. I about got ran over when i was 15yrs old in a cornfield by a doe...But i got her

[nofishfisherman]

I was almost run over by a big doe when I was about 13-14. Just walking through the woods and she was bedded right off the trail I was following. As soon as I got within a foot of her she bolted in front of me, she actually brushed up against me as she sprinted past. If I had stuck out my arm in front of me I would have close lined her as she bolted in front of me.

There was no need to change my pants afterward. I was so startled that everything puckered up tighter than a gnats azz.

[zepman]

BryanL...

Just like any other hunting...head into the wind and work slow. Try finding a "workable" section of corn and go from there. Go row to row and peak your head through first. When you get to the end of the field or last of the rows just walk forward 20-30 yards and head back in. I don't think you want to venture into 500 acres of standing corn and start wondering around though.

[phorn]

I sat on Wednesday in the wind all day and had one of the best sits of my life. I saw seven bucks. I didn't get a shot with the bow. But if I would have had the shot gun? Who knows? And there are two huge corn fields standind. One about 100 yards away the other about 1\2 mile away. They were definatly cruising on Wednesday. Good Luck this weekend!!

[BryanL]

Well surprise, surprise. Went for a final bowhunting before guns and Lo and behold they were combining the corn. Deer didn't show up but the turkeys did. Had three of them flopping from tree to tree above me for the last 45 minutes of shooting light.

[JIvers]

Stalking standing corn can be VERY effective. With a little wind blowing down the rows and damp conditions to muffle the noise I have gotten the easiest shots I expect to ever have--I'm talking deer laying on the ground ten or twenty yards in front of me. I think the deer let their guard down in the corn in a way they do not do in timber or high grass.

The damp conditions thing is important in my experience, maybe as important as having the wind blow the right way. Dry corn makes a lot of noise, and there is no way to move through it silently. I've had deer bust me from rows away when stalking dry corn, even when the wind is right.

Stalking corn is also a bit of a PITA. Get used to walking sideways and muscling corn stalks out of the way. I actually blew a couple of easy shots because after stepping sideways in to eighty rows and seeing nothing I was caught off guard by stepping in to the eighty-first row and seeing a deer laying there fifteen yards away.

Between the PITA part and the importance of having damp conditions I only stalk standing corn when the wind is right, and when we just had a rain to muffle the sound.

Tomorrow should be a great day for stalking corn in SE Minnesota, as we are supposed to get rain here tonight. Unless the predicted wind directions for this weekend are wrong, I won't be doing it, though, as all the corn on my ground has long rows running north-south. Not good with west winds. For that reason I'm hoping my renter has his corn out when I drive out there this afternoon.

[JIvers]

Also remember safety when stalking corn. If there are other hunters set up near the edge of the field be sure they know you are in there. Also be sure no one else is in the corn.

I've heard of people stalking corn in teams, but that does not sound like a good idea to me.

[Musky Buck]

Hearing 73% of the corn is gone statewide, but my thought was how dog gone much of it is there, all standing where I'll be tomorrow until the combine fires up about 9:30AM. Good luck

[deerminator]

Was indeed windy as heck this morning but saw lots of activity. And lots of "abandoned" fawns which leads me to believe things are ramping up as few shots heard from the gunners. (although early-afternoon it sounded like WW III - maybe just some target practice) Just no shots. Skipping this evening and heading out tomorrow morning again. Good luck.

[FISHINGURU]

Is this deer hunting? I thought I was ice fishing on Mille Lacs, was getting slammed by the wind finally had to get out of my stand and go tuck down over the ridge. Still seen 2 bucks and 2 does though while in stand, both does had bucks a little ways behind them.

I have never tried to stalk deer in the corn, have thought about it for about 10 years but never actually got out to do it.

[Kyle]

The wind did not help us today. We stuck it out all day with no deer in sight. It's the first opener I've never seen a deer at that spot. I'm really hoping for calm cold weather.

[BryanL]

Wish I would have had corn to stalk. Terrible conditions for opener and I never saw a deer all day. Was going to hit the last field of standing corn just as the farmer came and stated taking it out. Hustled back to the woods to hopefully catch a fleeing deer. Nothing, nada. Long day on the stand seeing nothing.

[icecold]

Sat all day saw a 8 pointer early morning, didnt offer a clear shot, saw 8 does over course of day, then at 4.30 a buck came by dropped that, lots of shooting in mn river bottoms, wind not to bad ,but all in all a good hunt for alot of people.

[reddog]

[nofishfisherman]

Well my wind strategy didn't pan out. I was tucked into a pine low land area at the bottom of a steep ridge. The wind direction would have been decent for this spot except that in swirled like crazy through that area. I stuck it out through the morning hunt but didn't see or hear anything. In the afternoon I didn't sit in stand and instead did some walking to see if I could get on some fresher sign. Ended up coming across several fresh scrapes and well worn paths with fresh tracks but nothing showed up during daylight hours.

Between 7-9am there was a decent amount of shooting in the area and then at 9am it stopped completely. In the afternoon I only heard 5 shots total. One of them was a buddy who shot a large doe. Not sure what she weighed but we were all guessing well over 150 pounds. I guess we'll find out when she goes to the butcher shop.