Hunting field edge tips?

[duckduck84]

So, the land I hunt on has several different size fields that are cut soybeans by the time gun season rolls around. In the 3 years I've been hunting it I've only seen about 6 deer. Killed 3 last year. Went out this morning and saw nothing again which is the norm. All the stands are in The field edges and are surrounded by woods or split by some woods.

My question is what should I start looking for or maybe change up to increase the chances of at least seeing deer? I feel like all the habitat is there for them and it's Hardeman County so plenty of deer, just not seeing them on our land.

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[smalljawbasser]

Re: Hunting field edge tips?

here's my tip - once the rut starts, get off the fields and get in the woods.


JMO. i hunt in upper east tennessee, so ymmv.

 

[catman529]

Re: Hunting field edge tips?

Well go in the woods then. If the deer aren't in the fields then don't hunt there. This year cut beans are like a desert because of how dry it's been. A normal year they grow some good green vegetation by the time mid to late season comes around. But if you're not seeing the deer then you aren't where the deer want to be. Figure where they're going in the woods, they probably are eating undergrowth and acorns.


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[cbhunter]

Re: Hunting field edge tips?

fields have mostly been a bust for me this year. seeing lots of deer in the woods..........well not lots.......but most every sit.

 

[duckduck84]

Thanks for the replies. I've seen where they are crossing in and out on one of the fields so next time I'm out I'll have to see if I can find a good spot to sit further in the woods.

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[Crosshairy]

Re: Hunting field edge tips?

Many times once hunting season gets rolling, deer learn to stay away from wide open spaces during daylight hours. If you see lots of deer tracks in the fields, but never any deer, then they are likely "staging" inside of the woods in the afternoons, and coming out after dark (or vice versa in the mornings). Acorns and other tree-based food are often the preferred forage during the late fall, especially if a frost has hit the green crops still in fields.

Late season afternoons are generally when fields (that have some form of food in them) become good hunting spots again, simply because browse in the woods has been eaten or died off.

If you are the only one on the property hunting in the woods, you might be able to take advantage of the fact that many folks just like hunting in a comfy stand/box blind on a field edge and don't want to do the work of actually scouting for deer on the rest of their property. The use of food plots has made the average deer hunter less savvy about his/her quarry. They are a tool for certain times, but many use them as a crutch to avoid acquiring the skills of woodsmanship that traditional hunters considered an essential part of their toolkit.

I encourage you to avoid hunting fields until gun season has been open for 2-3 weeks, and see if you see a difference in your hunting experience. If nothing else, I think you might have more fun - there's a LOT more to see in the woods in terms of other wildlife, and you get to hunt with your ears by hearing the tell-tale "crunch crunch" of footsteps approaching during still days. My heartbeat gets a lot more frantic hearing that noise compared to watching a deer stroll into an opening from a distance.

Here's my general practice:
Early muzzleloader - hunt open woods with good food sources along terrain funnels with decent visibility, expecting to see unpressured, "dumb" deer out in the open.
Late muzzleloader/gun (on properties with pressure) - hunt woods adjacent to thickets or other security cover, expecting to see deer moving less out in the open
Early gun season (rut/chasing in my area) - hunt downwind of travel corridors to see cruising bucks, or food sources near security cover that might hold does. Bonus points for finding woods with small clearings where does may be feeding
Late gun season - hunt remaining food sources. On very cold days, watch fields with food in the afternoons

 

[duckduck84]

Re: Hunting field edge tips?

Many times once hunting season gets rolling, deer learn to stay away from wide open spaces during daylight hours. If you see lots of deer tracks in the fields, but never any deer, then they are likely "staging" inside of the woods in the afternoons, and coming out after dark (or vice versa in the mornings). Acorns and other tree-based food are often the preferred forage during the late fall, especially if a frost has hit the green crops still in fields.

Late season afternoons are generally when fields (that have some form of food in them) become good hunting spots again, simply because browse in the woods has been eaten or died off.

If you are the only one on the property hunting in the woods, you might be able to take advantage of the fact that many folks just like hunting in a comfy stand/box blind on a field edge and don't want to do the work of actually scouting for deer on the rest of their property. The use of food plots has made the average deer hunter less savvy about his/her quarry. They are a tool for certain times, but many use them as a crutch to avoid acquiring the skills of woodsmanship that traditional hunters considered an essential part of their toolkit.

I encourage you to avoid hunting fields until gun season has been open for 2-3 weeks, and see if you see a difference in your hunting experience. If nothing else, I think you might have more fun - there's a LOT more to see in the woods in terms of other wildlife, and you get to hunt with your ears by hearing the tell-tale "crunch crunch" of footsteps approaching during still days. My heartbeat gets a lot more frantic hearing that noise compared to watching a deer stroll into an opening from a distance.

Here's my general practice:
Early muzzleloader - hunt open woods with good food sources along terrain funnels with decent visibility, expecting to see unpressured, "dumb" deer out in the open.
Late muzzleloader/gun (on properties with pressure) - hunt woods adjacent to thickets or other security cover, expecting to see deer moving less out in the open
Early gun season (rut/chasing in my area) - hunt downwind of travel corridors to see cruising bucks, or food sources near security cover that might hold does. Bonus points for finding woods with small clearings where does may be feeding
Late gun season - hunt remaining food sources. On very cold days, watch fields with food in the afternoons

Thanks! I really appreciate the advice and will put that into practice.


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[dburt]

Re: Hunting field edge tips?

I encourage you to avoid hunting fields until gun season has been open for 2-3 weeks, and see if you see a difference in your hunting experience. If nothing else, I think you might have more fun - there's a LOT more to see in the woods in terms of other wildlife, and you get to hunt with your ears by hearing the tell-tale "crunch crunch" of footsteps approaching during still days. My heartbeat gets a lot more frantic hearing that noise compared to watching a deer stroll into an opening from a distance.

This. Why I don't like hunting from ground blinds...I like to see and hear the woods around me and feel like that's so limited in the blind.

 

[CBU93]

Re: Hunting field edge tips?

Personally, I love field hunting and not so much woods hunting...

Look more so to subtle terrain features leading to the fields or through them. Berms, points, levees, little patches of weeds, creeks bordering fields, lone trees in large field, coves, etc. All can be keyed upon...pay particular attention to any little rise, dip, or roll in the field.

Stands need to be set up away from the anticipated trails of entry or exit of the field. Practice longer range shooting in all wind conditions. Use binoculars.

 

[Mike Belt]

Re: Hunting field edge tips?

You'll kill deer in fields and they do enter or cross them, especially during a chase but I'd be in the timber. Do some quick scouting inside the edges of the timber/fields. You're probably going to find some scrapes and rubs where the bucks are staging before nightfall. They'll be cruising those areas looking for does. I particularly like inside corners where the bucks will "round" them off inside the timber, points jutting into the fields, and ridges over fields on the prevalent downwind side. I sort of get bored watching wide open fields.

 

[JeepKuntry]

Re: Hunting field edge tips?

If you're after big bucks, get into the woods. Outside of the rut, most of his time in fields will occur after shooting hours.