Scouting.....Something often overlooked (I'd bet)
 

When I think about the upcoming deer season.....I realize this will be only the second season I've STARTED, bowhunting. I scouted early, last year, and I knew where they'd be when the season rolled in.

I've been thinking during the off-season (scary, huh?)....and I THOUGHT I wasn't going to scout, much. After all.....I knew where they were, last year.....and the tracts aren't that large.....they'll be in the same place, right?

I don't know. One thing I DID realize the other day......that I hadn't thought of.....is CROP ROTATION. What was corn, last year,.......is soy beans, THIS year (and vice versa). I HAVE to think this is going to affect my deer movement.

So much for taking the deer for granted.;)

RE: Scouting.....Something often overlooked (I'd bet)
 

That's where good communication with the farmer/landowner help. I knew what was gonna be where this year..last year!

RE: Scouting.....Something often overlooked (I'd bet)
 

I did, too, GR8. It isn't that hard (they rotate each year, here).....I just didn't think about it until I saw the corn planted the other day.

Gotta get up early again......

RE: Scouting.....Something often overlooked (I'd bet)
 

Yeah, from my experience, the deer hammer those beans in the early season. Theres nothing i love more then gettin out and videoing velvet bucks, especially since it doubles as a scouting trip.

RE: Scouting.....Something often overlooked (I'd bet)
 

Around me, it seems that the biggest impact the farmers have isn't what they plant, but when they harvest it. Having the last crops standing can pay huge dividends if there is any way you can ask the farmer to do those fields last.

RE: Scouting.....Something often overlooked (I'd bet)
 

Here's the kicker huntingson.....

The landowners whose land I hunt don't have ANY crops. They just have land that abuts the deer's bedding areas. It really matters not to me who has standing crops........they're ALL (deer) coming back "home". Standing corn actually HURTS me. Deer will bed in the corn......and not come "home". I like it when ALL the corn gets cut down......and the earlier the better.

They haven't planted the beans, yet......but they've sprayed the fields. It's not hard to tell what's going where (the corn is already planted).

RE: Scouting.....Something often overlooked (I'd bet)
 

Rotation used to be obvious. However, with the demand for bio-fuels at a peak many of the farmers in my area are NOT rotating, making predicting deer movement easier than ever! In fact the 700+ acres of corn that surrounds my own property will ALL be corn again! In fact, the 90 acre field that my easement road winds through will be corn for the 5th season in a row! The couple hundred acres to the North has also been no-till planted in corn for just as long. The only thing that isn't corn in my area will be the band of CRP that borders my property before opening up to the large fields and of course MY food plots! My plots should be as sweet as ever! ;)Come on October! :D

RE: Scouting.....Something often overlooked (I'd bet)
 

John Eberhart talks about these kinds of things in his books. One of the reasons I like them so much.

RE: Scouting.....Something often overlooked (I'd bet)
 

Touche. Consider my point retracted.

RE: Scouting.....Something often overlooked (I'd bet)
 

huntingson:

Mister....I sincerely hope you didn't think I was discounting your advice. QUITE THE CONTRARY. I know what you say is probably a great strategy. I've said all along I have a unique place to hunt.

Itruly enjoy your insights, though....and theyre appreciated. Didn't want that to go unsaid.

RE: Scouting.....Something often overlooked (I'd bet)
 

The price of corn has increased to the point where most farmers are planting corn to corn, rather than corn to beans.

RE: Scouting.....Something often overlooked (I'd bet)
 

Just wondering.....what are they doing (these farmers) to offset the mineral depletion that comes with planting corn year after year? Is he price of corn SO great....as to offset the cost of the minerals required to put back in the fields before planting?

Isn't that a fair question?

RE: Scouting.....Something often overlooked (I'd bet)
 

Heck no GMMAT, I wasn't concerned about that one bit. I was just messing around because what I said was totally unapplicable.

Don't worry about me, not only do I not take things too seriously (usually;)) but I think you are a good guy.

RE: Scouting.....Something often overlooked (I'd bet)
 

Crop rotation makes the biggest difefrence in the world every year where I hunt. Soy makes it great for early season scouting and early season patterning on field edges. I can see where and what time the ones I want to try and target are coming out to feed. Corn, makes it tougher to see the deer once the corn gets to be 4 or 5 feet, once its over 6 feet I hunt the oaks and creeksuntil the corn is cut. They just go out and bed in the corn, makes it very hard to hunt them. But they have to drink!! Especially when its still hot in Sept and Oct.

RE: Scouting.....Something often overlooked (I'd bet)
 

GMMAT, Your right, cop rotation avoids a decrease in soil fertility, as growing the samecrop repeatedly in the same place obviously would eventually deplete the soilof various nutrients.A crop that leaches the soil of one kind of nutrient is followed during the next growing season by a dissimilar crop that returns that nutrient to the soil or draws a different ratio of nutrients, for example, rices followed by cottons. You are correct, fertalizers are expensive, especially when your dealing with 1k+ acres of crops. But farmers around here are getting that money back, plus income when they sell there corn harvest. And when corn goes up 1.50 a bushel, a little nitrogen isnt a big deal to farmers.

RE: Scouting.....Something often overlooked (I'd bet)
 

GREAT reply...PSE....Thanks.

RE: Scouting.....Something often overlooked (I'd bet)
 

Due to the price increase for corn and related crops, after 4 years of soybeans, they are planting our field in milo (soil not right for corn). I'm disappointed, but am looking forward to the challenge and change of scouting and figuring out what they do with the Milo.

GMMAT, the deer where we hunt absolutely terrorize the soybeans (no need for summer food plot), especially if you get any second growth after harvest. Once there is even a light freeze, all of the soybean plants will die. BUT, the deer will continue to browse the old pods and spilt beans remaining on the ground. The other thing about soybeans is that it doesn't give the deer any cover, so usually they are only going to do nocturnal feeding on it, or feed close to cover or around a bend, etc.