Beans are tough to beat while they're green, I agree. After they start turning, our local herd abandons them rather quickly. Early September they should still be green.

Mike made the points about observing entrance points with varying winds I was going to, so he saved me some typing.

Of course they're going to be more alert out in the open. But they'll be less antsy (sp?) that if they were in a pile of corn!

I like to hunt the edges of the beans in the early season in hopes of filling the freezer...if a buck allows a shot, so be it. As the season moves on, I'll move farther back in the woods to the "staging" areas.

Also, I've got a LOT of experience in this type of hunting... it really depends on what you're after. I've seen mature bucks enter the fields with shooting light left, but just as often they'll stage back in the woods and hit the field edge right at last light.

I've also had good success pulling deer to me with sporadic contact grunts even when they're a good bit away.

Good poing Greg.

If you aren't seeing the mature bucks entering the fields with ample shooting light, don't bother wasting your time. You might have to get agressive then and move back into the staging areas.

Being that your season opens up the second weekend in September i don't think you will have a problem with bucks not showing up until after shooting light. They should still have their guard down assuming they don't get pressured before season.

Also, like some others have said, pay very close attention to how you get in and out of your set. It might be difficult to get out after dark with all the deer feeding out in the field so be prepared to stay out for a while, which by the title of your thread i can tell that you have already thought about that!

Well, I just lost a long post as the stupid site timed out; let's see if I can remember some of it. [:@]

Be careful of moving too deeply into the woods when hunting a food source such as beans, as deer will often bed very closely to their food source in warm weather (I've seen them laid up 100 yards or less at this time of year). This is where it can pay off to have several pre-hung fixed positions in place once you've done your homework.

A possible strategy as well is to place a deke in the field. You won't be utilizing it like you do during the rut; this will be more of a "confidence decoy", comforting the arriving deer. Put it 50 yards out into the field past your set. It'll serve a two-fold purpose: One, it instills confidence and eases nerves (put at least one if not both antlers on it so does won't become agitated at it). Just as importantly, it keeps the deer from blowing past the inside edge and running 30 yards out into the field. If they spy the deke out in the field just before they make that little dash, they may stop in a perfect position in front of your stand.