Help a Southern guy goin to Ohio
 

So I have never hunted north of Alabama, but I have just recently gotten an invite to hunt a small private farm in southern Ohio (southeast of Cincy) this upcoming season. Unfortunatley, i will only be able to make it up there for 4 - 5 days around Christmas due to work.
The farmers do not hunt the area and as far as they know there is no hunting on neighboring properties as well. I know this would be good for the reason of the deer in the area not being pressured, But since they do not care leave standing crops to feed deer in winter b/c they do not hunt i am afraid the crops will be long gone by the time i can get up there.
I have never hunted an area where Agriculture is present so I have no idea if christmas would be too late to still find deer in the area if the crops have already been harvested
Help a young southern boy out and give me some advice.

Absolutely not, I believe it's the opposite, late in the season when food is scarce deer often congregate heavily in these fields scrounging any little bit of food they can. I see them heavily in both bean AND corn fields during late season. Also focus on clover patches if you can find them.

So even after all the fields are harvested they will still hang around and try to find the last scraps they can?
Like i said before, I am a newby on two fronts here. Never hunted crops or up north.

You can also find out if they can put out "Bait" aka Corn/Grain for the Deer and hunt over it...it may be against the Law so check into that first!

Another to consider if the Crops have been harvested then there should be some fields planted with Winter Wheat or Oats...those would be ideal to hunt next to also....then there's the possibility of the late 2nd Rut and You might want to hang a scent tube/wick with Doe in Estrous on it to draw in the Bucks?

GTO, thanks for that. I hadn't rele considered the cover crop possibilities. That's a good point. I don't know the baiting laws in Ohio but I will look into that as well.
I am hopin that their will be some late does comin in around then as well.
So are most all fields usually planted in some sort of cover crop?

What sorts of natural browse are deer on typically in the late season up that way?
I know down here u can generally find some of the more frost resistant acorns (red oaks typically) and be on deer but are do acorns stay palitable on the ground as long up that way in the colder temps?

Most fields around me don't get planted with a cover crop at all. Late season really focus on food source, if times are really tough for them then look for young trees the deer will literally eat the bark off the trees.

I know here in Missouri the Soybeans and Corn will be pretty well all harvested by Fall....I have seen where we had a very wet Fall and the soybeans didn't get cut until a good freeze because of soft fields.Back to Fall/Winter Planting......most Farmers around here do a cover crop of some type grain aka wheat/foraging oats to take advantage of the snow/rain moisture!

Well lets hope if nothin else these folks will plant something once the corn is harvested.

by the time u get to hunt in late December crops will be gone..i would say beans are better than corn at that time of the year, they will searching for left overs then. find the food u will find the deer, can u get a topo map of were ur hunting?