High ag field to timber ratio

[Shed Hunter]

How do you hunt it? I don't have permission to hunt this deer but may ask some people in the area. It seems like it would be a difficult task to hunt him or an incredibly easy one. My experience is all focused on huge tracts of forest. This deer lives right by a large city with subdivisions a mile from where spotted and probably 500 acres of field to each one acre of timber. The property i spotted him on is roughly 100 acres with maybe 12-13 of timber so it's one of the few properties with any timber on it

 

[CBU93]

On the ground, during the rut, flat shooting bean field rifle (presuming fields are ag fields) focusing on any slight rise or depression that can offer a level of concealment for him to chase does.

 

[Shed Hunter]

On the ground, during the rut, flat shooting bean field rifle (presuming fields are ag fields) focusing on any slight rise or depression that can offer a level of concealment for him to chase does.

I forgot to add this is Ohio and will only be bow hunting

 

[bowhunterfanatic]

If he doesn't shift his range he'd be easy to kill with some patience. The hard part will be obtaining permission and not having someone else run him out of the area being too aggressive. I'd try and obtain permission on areas with timber or some other sort of cover in that area.

 

[Antler Daddy]

IMO, much easier than big timber.

 

[Dennis]

Pit blind and xbow

 

[CBU93]

I forgot to add this is Ohio and will only be bow hunting

That's a pretty important minor detail.

 

[Buzzard Breath]

I learned to bow hunt while hunting farmland in Central Ohio. Here was my typical setup for hunting a small woodlot during the rut. Total woodlot was 19 acres, we could hunt 15 of it. The predominant wind was from the west. There was always wind. Bucks would cruise just inside the east side of the woodlot, scent checking the entire woods. I'd setup about 30 yards from the east side (red dot). I couldn't set up any closer to the edge, because the wind would blow over the trees, drop down, and get sucked back into the first 10-20 yards of the woods and just swirl. I would get a lot of younger bucks cruising the edge of the woods, making/checking scrapes. But, the mature bucks always stuck to the cover of the woods. It's super fun hunting when the rut is going full blast. I just grew bored with it and now hunt the NF when I go up there.

 

[EastTNHunter]

Wind direction and approach. Early season white tails are USUALLY easy to pattern

 

[Ski]

He could move to any farm for miles around once his velvet is shed. Some deer just aren't reasonably huntable. But he might stay around. The approach BB mentioned above is pretty darn spot on. Don't get discouraged if he disappears because if he does a different one will fill the void. You'll have a big buck to hunt whether it's that buck or not.

And once cruising begins if you can peg a good pinch then you'll see every buck in the county. All those deer aren't going to be spread out across the landscape like big woods. Once the crops are cut all the deer will be concentrated in those small woodlots. Finding a good pinch will be key, IMO.

 

[Buzzard Breath]

Something else to consider. Ohio gives bowhunters the entire rut. Don't burn out the little woodlot before pre-rut. I've witnessed some of the most intense rutting action and buck fights in that little 15 acres. I've also had days where I saw so many bucks, I wondered where they all came from. They roam. They roam al lot, going from one place to the next, checking for hot does.

 

[Shed Hunter]

Saw some more today. Now I just need to get some big ones on camera. I found some bordering public I can hunt but couldn't get pictures of them. One was large enough to keep secret even if I could!

 

[TX300mag]

You will have no problem killing a big buck up there, shedhunter. This is much easier hunting than you're used to.

 

[Boll Weevil]

I've hunted in both IL and MO ag country like you describe. Seeing and killing big/old deer is childs play compared to southern deer in the timber, nasty clearcuts, and pine plantations. Endless acres of corn stubble with little pockets of timber, hedgerows, and CRP interspersed…isn't that hard to figure out where the deer will be.