Hey guys, I just got permission to hunt this 83 acre farm, just outside the city limits of the town. It has two wooded creeks running through it, its not much timber at all, but it's almost the only timber around for two miles, its surrounded by crop fields. The field is currently hay, but in the following years it will be crops. The creek trees are mainly oak, maple, hedge, mulberry, and willow. I have two trail cams out, one in each creek, and I've been getting some decent bucks on cam, but they're all on cam from 6pm- late night. I don't know where they bed at, but I'm assuming in the corn of the draw continues onto another property and they might bed there. The red is ponds, the white is property line, and the yellow is hay. There is some nice older rubs in the creeks and what looks to be abandon scrapes on the field edges. The creeks are full of deer tracks. Is this worth my time to hunt? Where would you put stands? Or would you even use stands? Thanks.
Assuming the top of the map is North, I would hang a stand in the SW corner of the timber where a strip of trees runs into a hay field (closes to the house). I would then place another stand possibly on the NE side trying to catch some deer crossing that pasture. Another option would be to put a stand on the East side river or where the strip of trees are. This is assuming the deer are bedding in the corn and are heading for water. The bucks will be running the river bottoms going N to S and vise versa in search of does during the rut. These places provide great cover and easy traveling. Hope this helps
I would put a stand in that finger of timber to the right in this photo. Preferably close to the mouth of where that finger splits from the property line. That looks like a good place to catch cruising bucks. During the rut, those bucks would probably try to get down wind of bedding and food to scent check for does. I personally love being able to see a couple hundred yards out, so being able to look across the hay field and into the corn would be good. This was you could possibly see any deer feeding. One of my favorite stands is an inside corner where hay meets woods. Im usually set back in the woods about 10 yards to cover anything that sneaks behind me.
I'd spend a day walking as much of the timber and field edges as possible. Do it now, get all the info you can, then let it settle down for season. Nothing more important than knowledge of all the property.
Go out and set up in the evenings on the hay feilds to see where they come out. Then that's where u put ur stands Tyler Rector BHOD prostaff
Thanks Guys, from the the trail cam pics, I think that they bed in the corn then follow the creek up into the hay, then they hit the pond, then they head to the soybeans.
sounds like you have their travel route down pretty well. You know where they are headed, now just hang accordingly to that pattern. You'll have to switch things up possibly closer towards the rut. I think your best bet to get one of your bucks on cam is early while they are still on the pattern you've figured out.
I'd say looking at it blind with out walking it I would put a stand wherever there is a "T" formed by the woods line for a start
Since you already know that the deer are bedding in the corn, then coming to the water and then heading to the Soybeans after that you have a pretty good idea of their travel patterns. They may and most likely will change when the Rut starts but I think a key place to hang a stand is the creeks. I would also consider something coming from the corn field into the water source. I made added spots in the lime green to show where I would consider putting stands. I don't know the terrain but hope that helps!
Do some evening and morning scouting if possible to see where they come out at night and go into the creek/timber in the morning.
My stand placements would be the same as Keith, but error on the side of caution and if north is straight up in that picture bc we get predominant west winds in the Midwest and your scent will blow right into the corn. Also hunting evenings your scent will drop towards the ground as the thermals drop. Another problem I see is that you only have access from the west which isn't the best. Being very little cover don't over hunt it and only hunt on good winds. Hunt the NE stand on SW winds and vice versa on the SE stand.
"How would you hunt this?" With my bow, of course... Sorry you already got a bunch of great advice, no sense in being redundant, so I added some levity haha.
Well, guys, I'm slightly confused. I went back there this morning to do some fishing. (last time for the year) There was a bachelor group of smaller bucks in the soybeans. These deer are really used to human scent, farmer used to have cows in the previous years. He said last year in the fall they seen a huge buck chasing a couple of other deer down into the second creek draw. I'd assume it was does, but I don't know. And he does know buck size, so hopefully that buck will return.
You may find that this particular farm is a rut spot.... don't over hunt it early if nothing is showing up. Just put in the right hours during the right time of year