Corn- standing or cut

[shelbydeer]

Due to river levels staying low this year I was able to get several plots with corn this year. I have never done corn due to farm usually being under water every spring. Corn is doing great but should I leave it standing all year or cut it? I have beans in between corn rows also. Four rows of beans them five rows if corn. The closest corn field is several miles away so i believe most of my deer have never ate corn. If I do
Cut it when should I do it? Thanks

 

[Boll Weevil]

If they are plots (vs big ag fields) you might consider leaving it standing. By the time frost hits the green vegetation and all the critters start depleting the acorn crop, you'll be in super shape with a reliable, highly-preferred food source.

Between now and then, they'll knock down whatever they want to anyway...but if you hold off from cutting it there will be much more to hunt over by the time the colder weather hits and the rut cranks up a little.

 

[spoon]

I would knock down about 1/3 mainly on the edges. Put a pop up blind in the stand corn...awesome bow hunting

 

[Winchester]

Whichever you choose this yr should be great, as a huge % of corn is already dried up and dead throughout much of the U.S.
You may have a goldmine!

 

[shelbydeer]

I would like to leave it but have one concern, we don't and have never had any corn fields within miles from us, beans only. I am afraid if I don't cut it that the deer will not find it since they have no idae what it is. I have never hunted over corn fields so trying to get some advise.

 

[muddyboots]

Oh they will find it!

 

[Football Hunter]

I would just cut a feww sections thru the season,works greta,really draws in the deer.

 

[Smoked]

I would just cut a feww sections thru the season,works greta,really draws in the deer.

THIS^

 

[Chaneylake]

I would like to leave it but have one concern, we don't and have never had any corn fields within miles from us, beans only. I am afraid if I don't cut it that the deer will not find it since they have no idae what it is. I have never hunted over corn fields so trying to get some advise.

I have standing corn in my duck hole every year and the deer basically do not touch it, I can not knock down the corn due to migratory laws, the deer like for the corn to be on the ground.

bushog is the best, riding down with ATV will work ok

 

[shelbydeer]

What about putting a elevated box stand in the corn? Any one done this?

 

[SelphLogging]

I must be reading wrong... 5 rows is all you have? With 4 rows in between the corn rows?

 

[shelbydeer]

Plots are 2-3 acres in size

 

[SelphLogging]

oh ok got ya

 

[Football Hunter]

What about putting a elevated box stand in the corn? Any one done this?

Its amazing how they can dissappear in that stuff,if it was me.Id back a tractor up to the stand and mow a few shooting lanes in the plot every few weeks during the season.

 

[Rubberduck270]

What about putting a elevated box stand in the corn? Any one done this?

Its amazing how they can dissappear in that stuff,if it was me.Id back a tractor up to the stand and mow a few shooting lanes in the plot every few weeks during the season.

That's what I plan to do to mine. I am a little worried that the corn on the stalks will rot before its all eaten though. Will it rot or will it be ok?

 

[jmb4wd]

What about putting a elevated box stand in the corn? Any one done this?

Its amazing how they can dissappear in that stuff,if it was me.Id back a tractor up to the stand and mow a few shooting lanes in the plot every few weeks during the season.

I used to hunt over standing corn up in South Dakota a bunch, and let me tell you its tough to see them, and tough to judge one as well, unless you are really high up.

I would maybe leave a perimeter around the field and not bush hog it down (wasting a ton of grain) but just ride the stalks over so you can see, and the ears are still in the shucks protected from the weather.

 

[shelbydeer]

Well deer have found the corn and know I hope they don't eat it all before nov co
Comes

 

[taximan]

I think there is pros and cons to leave standing or knocking down.. Standing the deer have cover in which they feel safe but on the flip side you can see them until they are right on top of you....

I cant do this on the farms I hunt because the crops arent mine but I would(if they were mine) knock down a few lanes about twice width of atv or bushhogg and hopfully bullwinkle will step out into those areas and you will have a clear shot...

 

[Truedouble]

Due to river levels staying low this year I was able to get several plots with corn this year. I have never done corn due to farm usually being under water every spring. Corn is doing great but should I leave it standing all year or cut it? I have beans in between corn rows also. Four rows of beans them five rows if corn. The closest corn field is several miles away so i believe most of my deer have never ate corn. If I do
Cut it when should I do it? Thanks

Speaking from my personal experience with several fields last year I would leave standing, then come in and bushhog several rows/shooting lanes about 3 days prior to bow season. Then come back and cut a few more lanes right before the rut starts. They will hammer a corn field, standing or bushhogged, but I learned last year that our deer preferred the bushhogged strips over the standing corn. Easier for them to eat and it seemed to have brought them in more during shooting hours. Hope you have the success we had with ours. It really helped our hunting last year, and hope it helps us again this year.

 

[Truedouble]

I think there is pros and cons to leave standing or knocking down.. Standing the deer have cover in which they feel safe but on the flip side you can see them until they are right on top of you....

I cant do this on the farms I hunt because the crops arent mine but I would(if they were mine) knock down a few lanes about twice width of atv or bushhogg and hopfully bullwinkle will step out into those areas and you will have a clear shot...

two reasons to only cut in sections through out the season.

1. if you bushog the entire field at once the deer, turkeys, etc. will eat it all up a lot faster than if you have a large part still standing.
2. standing corn with strategically cut strips provides an ideal hunting situation. Deer have cover but will almost always walk out into the bushogged strip where the corn is on the ground and exposed.

Running over the corn and knocking it down helps, but doesn't help as much as bushhogging. When you bushhog it will bust up a lot of the ears and scatter the corn kernels out all over the cut lane. It is awesome for drawing in deer, as you can imagine.