This land is also used for extensive dove season hunting. I was wondering if it was even worth scouting the fields prior to season? I figure all the dove hunters would keep the deer out of the fields during the day. So wouldn't that change their eating habits and cause them to eat at night and bed all day? Or will the deer push out of the area altogether? It's a 800 acre conservation area if that helps.
Do you have a map of the area that can show food in relation to potential bedding? 800 acres is a lot of land, if its all dove hunting then it sounds like it'll be tough. Otherwise I would look for a nice acorn flat and tuck in a little bit. I'm sure the deer that live there have been dealing with it for years.
Yea I have a topomap. The conservation area is in the middle of a lot of other crop land. It seems to me only the public land is used for dove hunting. I was just wondering how much shooting and human traffic before the big bucks say enough and move to a more peaceful property.
Do you know how much dove traffic it gets? Are you hunting KS or MO? My understanding on KS public land is that it receives little to no pressure. If the ratio of crop to timber is good then I wouldn't be concerned at all. I would simply look for transition areas in between bedding and food and access it from the east assuming there's a western wind.
I am hunting mo. Opening week it's like black Friday shopping at walmart. You have to get out there by 3 a.m. to find a good spot to hunt.
Yea that changes the game a little. Heres my .02..... hunt the people! What I mean is look at the most convienent access routes, or standard walking routes where people go and avoid them. If you can gain access from a local farmer to get on the land a different direction than everyone else, DO IT! If its flat terrain look for low drainage areas, if its steep terrain hunt 2/3 down from the top and find a natural point (the deer will stay 1/3 from the top to prevent being seen). Other than that just gain access to areas people normally wouldn't be and let them bump deer to you.
Thanks just wanted to make sure i wasn't wasteing my time scouting if the deer are all going to be gone when its time to hunt.
Just from personal experience of hunting public land don't hunt fields and don't hunt the spots that are right off the beaten path. On public land a majority of your hunters will take the easy route like fields and obvious easy spots to get to.
Dove season is a big deal the first couple of weeks and then the pressure drops considerably. Since dove season opens two weeks before bow season and all that is taking place in September I wouldn't worry too much about it. By the time bow hunting is beginning to get really good in October the dove hunters will be long gone.
I hunt right behind dove fields on public land and scout the hell out of during dove season. We see deer in fields not even a hour after the dove hunters have left. It may just be where i'm at but it doesnt seem to bother the deer to bad.
