statjunk

Hey guys I could use some advice on how I should hunt a spot that I am looking into. It will be a spot that I plan on hunting after work mostly. Here is the set up. It is a large corn field that is surrounded by woods. The problem is that the corn grows right up to the woods. There is no efficient path to get from the road to the hunting area other than going through the corn. I'm not actually sure what the corn is there for because this is public land and the corn should be picked but no one is picking it. Once I hike in from the road about 400 yards is where the tracks start. The tracks are huge but they run in and out of the corn. I have walked a lot of it and noticed some places where the deer are coming in and out but there aren't any totally clear spots where it looks like they are constantly traveling through the same place.

I essentially have almost a mile of corn/tree line to hunt. How should I hunt this?

What other info do you guys need to offer me good advice?

I can use either a tree stand or a ground blind.

Thanks
Tom

leadslinger3436

I have an idea for you. I recently watched a Barry Wensel DVD (http://www.brothersofthebow.com/html/bow.html) and it showed how to stalk deer in a cornfield. A cornfield providesnear perfectsoundcover on a windy day because of the dry leaves whichmeans you can baisicly get on top of the animal without it even hearing you. Second, if the deer catches your scent, it isnt gonna run off because it feels that the corn is a safe place for them. I would definatly check the video out if i were you. This is the name of the video:BOWHUNTING OCTOBER WHITETAILS I & II.

silentassassin

As long as the corn is still standing they are probably going to bed in the corn so you will just have to walk the edges and find some good trails and set up on the edges of the field just inside the woods off of some good trails. Once the corn is picked I would move to a spot that would allow me to see as much of the field as possible and then you can glass the field while hunting and then move your stand accordingly.

PABowhntr

I would agree with SA. Locate all of the trails and find out which one the deer are using to predominantly exit the corn....maybe for water or in search of other food sources...and then set up accordingly.

statjunk

Ok here is one more dilema. The corn is grown in rows with very little space between them. I have never been in a corn field before so I don't know if this is more or less than a standard corn field.

So if I were to hunt the corn field, as opposed to waiting on the edge of the corn field how can I get a shot off in there? Won't my arrow be easily deflected?

There is way too much area to cover because of the terrain. It took me an hour yesterday just to walk the perimiter of the corn field where it meets the woods. This included a lot of stopping to inspect tracks, and corn that had been eaten but to thoroughly inspect that field would take a lot of time. Do you have any strategies for figuring out how they are traveling through that corn?

Thanks
Tom

hunttones

Walk back into the woods a little following some tracks. Sometimes in the case the tracks come together on a trail away from the field.If you can find this trail-head so to speak, you should set up close to it. I've seen this exact scenario several times and in most cases there is a trail in the woods that parallels the field. That may be why you see the randam access. They peel off into the field from many locations. Also look for their best path to water.
Hope this helps.

hillbillyhunter1

The corn grows in rows!!! What!!!!!---just kidding. Notice that although you can't see through the rows very well, when you look down the "slot" in between the rows you should be able to see a good little ways. This is the same way that the shot will work. You can move slowly crossing the rows and looking down the "slots" (even w/binocs, if far enough) then when you spot some deer and need to move closer to them just move down a parallel slot (or maybe a couple of slots over). I would try to hunt the edges from a stand though and save this stalking as a resort when the wind is blowing to hard to sit in the tree. Sounds like a great place. If I was you, and wanted to do a lot of bowhunting, I'd hope they never cut the corn. They will though.