Successful? Jeff I've taken 21 whitetails in the past 3 seasons. You judge for yourself. I'm not telling you how to do it. I'm trying to educate you (in this instance....and so are others) that the deer WILL bed in the corn....and they WILL be (if they're like deer are EVERY OTHER PLACE IN THE WORLD) likely feeding in the fields in the pre-dawn hours. You don't hunt these destination food sources in the AM's without educating every deer in the county. I'm not suggesting you hunt it MY way. I'm suggesting a tactic to keep you from blowing an otherwise awesome spot. These are GREAT spots. Great PM spots.

Does it really matter what your "best option" is? You've already stated what you're gonna do. Your scenarios and "bumping percentages" are numbers you pulled off the wall. My gut feeling is.....you had no idea they'd bed in the corn (or be feeding there in the AM). And, you still don't think they will.

So again....give 'em hell.

No doubt about it Jeff, they will be in the corn, in the woods, on the trails, etc. Im saying with stealth, I would be most likely be undetected crossing 1/4 miles (as well as knocking off a 90 minute walk to get there) of VERY tall corn to get to the other side.

I was just reading petersons hunting mag and the author said crossing would be best to not contaminate/disturb the whole circumference of the filed....IF undetected to hunt one stand. I also read by an auther in F&S that it would be a HUGE diffrence if the corn was still standing or not, or ag fields were cut. The author did however say it was a hunters call depending on wind, shadows from sun placement, and other factors that would be left up to the hunters common sense. Once the fields are cut, its a definate preferal to cross with a low profile than chance the edges.

I apologize for questioning your accomplishment, as it appeared, but it was totally taken out of context. I know you can nanny whack, and the pictures I have seen, you can get a nice rack now and then.

My stands are up, and I crossed the corn on two seperate weekends and bumped ZERO deer whle putting them up. I 100% believe you , and have known since hunting 25 years ago that deer will be in them, especially in the early AM. I was merely exploring, as well as asking fellow HNI hunters if they would risk it or not. I have 2 titanium rods in my back with 8 screws holding them and carrying a pack and bow to go around my elbow to get to my ass is not very easy on the back. One of my other, much smaller leases I have planted corn and have a camera on them. Not once have I seen them, to any degree, use this as a primary, much less secondary bedding area rather than the surrounding cover of hardwoods and cutover (close by)that gives them much more cover. As a matter od fact, when entering the plots last year early in the AM, it was a given that deer would be in the treeline an hour before sunrise, and my cameras helped me to conclude that. The trails to the fields are traveled frequently from late afternoon and early AM....with that said, I believe I could make it with minimal cance of getting busted. I just dont see the point in contaminating the perimeter of the ag field, than simply going from point A to point B with a very keen eye, and being smart and stealthy. I dont plan on jogging through the corn, or bulldozing them either.

Are you a lawyer? You would make a good one.

you asked for oppinions u got them then complain or disagree? if u know everything what are u doing asking the question? or for that matter even being here?

I wont touch that one. This forum is for discussions, and as Jeff and I know from a couple years of throwing the hot rock around we are hunters sharing ideas. Whats your input, or is that your reason for being here?

i posted to ur thread. and im here to learn new ideas.

If your using a fixed stand I'd take the direct route through the corn on a trail you have already blazed while wearing scent pads on your boots or dragging a scent rag. If your using a climber that you have lug in then the long way would be more quiet. But still use the scent pads , I like trailmaker by Bob Kirchner.

I’d go around and walk the tree line, and I’d agree this is a tough AM hunt. If you walk through a soybean field, or a harvested field, your silhouette will be visible for a long way with any moon or star light in the AM. You won’t have to worry about whether they smell you or not. Walking through unharvested corn, you’ll be taking a chance of spooking feeding deer in the AM, and bedded deer in the PM. You’ll also be leaving your scent all over the corn stalks as you cut through them, so the trail to your stand might become off limits to some deer. Shouldn’t bother the youngsters. I know its warm early in the season here, so a long walk can sweat you up pretty good. We only have so many options when it comes down to it, so you have to do what YOU think is best for you. Good luck!

Thanks guys. Its had me thinking since reading all summer long the various hunting mags and surfing around at various whitetail forumes. Its definately something I havent done, crossing that much ag (soy and corn) to get to my stand. Usually I would come from the woods and get to the stand, but in this scenarion, I cant (trespassing, etc.)

2 out of 5 say go through it as if you are hunting the fields, like glasing up the rows, but I believe that will be for gun and not bow. I hope I didnt come across as a knucklehead, but with my back issues, I am always looking for the shortest point from pt A to pt B. All of you have explained the obvious, my thought was that i would contaminate just the trail through, and can conceal that by dragging tarsal or somethinglike that. I wish I had more afternoon hunts on this piece, as I see them daily feeding out there. I almost find it that much more difficult at getting across when they are out, but playing dad wont get me out any earlier than 3:30-4:30 PM. Its gonna bite that I wont hunt this area like it needs to ne hunt, but come winter, maybe after the ag fields are cut will open a different scenario.

Thanks again for the various thought/opinions.

Finally the voice of reason and comon sense

I use standing corn a lot to get into spots both AM and PM. I would never walk an edge of a tree line without being in the corn. While they like bedding in the corn... they love bedding and milling right along the tree's edge that borders a standing corn field. It would be suicide to walk inside a tree edge to get to a spot even for a PM hunt.

The deer that do bed in the corn... usually bed in cattail sloughs in the corn field in my area. I know my area very well. You use the wind to work you way though the corn so it doesn't blow your scent into these bedding spots. Yes... you may bust an occaisional deer but that can happen no matter how you walk into an area especially in the morning when we are stumbling around in the dark.

If the fields have been harvested... I rarely use them for access in the mornings, but sometimes use them for PM hunts if I go in really early and can stay out of sight. Without the standing corn... it is a different ball game.

It really depends on a person's situation on how to hunt an area whether it be AM or PM. Hard to take advise when someone uses a blanket statement... don't hunt it in the AM when you only have the AM to hunt. If I had a lot of time to hunt and could control who hunts the area... common sence says to play it safe and stay out. I don't have that luxury so common sense says to figure a way to hunt it before someone else wrecks the spot. In my area... someone else wrecking my spots is a given. It might as well be me and I ain't afraid to push it !!

Tim