So I got permission to a piece of land that is an old farm field. Currently nothing is planted and is not intended to be planted here but being from the area I am field hunting is not common. I was looking to put a blind up on the field edge, maybe 10 yards set back in the woods. What timing is more apt to bring the bucks to the field, evening or morning hunts? I was wondering what you guys might have for tips or success stories of hunting field edges from a ground blind.
Several factors, one being what is the field make up. Is it tall sturdy golden rod, medium. Or short grasses, wild clovers? Is it a large or smaller field? What surrounds it, open timber dense mix of woods and understory? We hunt edges a lot around here , check out travel routes by walking the edge and set up for a good wind . I find a good golden rod field will see deer mornings, mid day, and evening because they bed in it. More open short cover mornings and evenings.
Yeah there is a lot to factor in. It is an old cow pasture so they have a lot of natural feed. It is short grass which is why I want to be back off the field in the woods a bit. I turkey hunted it this spring and had 17 deer come out in the field. I was setup on an old log pile in the field edge and they couldn't figure out what was up, but they knew something wasn't right. Blowing and stomping but continuing to feed and move forward. Which is why I want to be more discrete and set up off of the field.
If you are going to hunt the field in the morning where do you think the deer will be when you arrive? If they are using the field much then they might be standing in or bedded in the field when you arrive. If they aren’t then you are expecting them to come back to a field after daylight for what reason? Trying to hunt the field in the morning is futile. They are almost surely not going to be in the field when you arrive for an afternoon hunt. Find the best trail coming to the field and put your blind 20 yds East or North of where it enters the field. Good luck.
See thats what I was thinking. Turkey hunting we were out there early. I have an idea where they come from and its close to the field but not in it. I was thinking of setting up on the opposite side of the field and sneaking in, an hour or 2 before daylight. Ill have to set up cameras to see how they act in the fall compared to spring because they will obviously have different patterns
I hunt field edges often from the ground and have shot my two biggest archery bucks from the same field edge location. Always afternoon as I have to walk down the field edge to get there My spot is in the corner of the field edge with woods, a brook and bedding area directly behind me. I have the best success when the wind blows my scent into the field. I sit on a stool with a tree wider then me behind me and 3yds deep natural brush in front of me that I trim and sit behind. Lastly, I'm about 15 yards from a trail that the deer use to enter the field . One more thing. The field rises away from me which creates a small knoll in the field about 100 yds away which creates a pocket in the field where the deer are not visible from the road. Its planted in a variety of crops over the years, corn, sorghum or soybeans. Doesn't seem to matter. Great spot, I will be there opening afternoon.
