I cannot for the life of me understand why so many people hate standing corn during hunting season so much.... If I had it my way it would be up until I am done hunting every year.... The "they never leave the corn" is 100% not true.... Even in big time Ag areas row crops only make up a portion of a whitetails diet. A good bedding area within short distance of a standing corn field that offers secure travel from point "a" to "b" is an early season, let alone rut hot spot... So, why do you hate the corn so much?
I hunt 100 acres, 50 of those acres is corn. When the corn is cut it makes the deer stick to the hardwoods. They use the woods to funnel to corn fields. Sure it's still good hunting when the corn is up, just not nearly as good!
The problem Scott is when it comes to hunting pressured properties.,. Here in PA, several of the properties I hunt are pressured hard through archery season, be it small game, turkey, muzzleloader (doe season), ect... the deer learn VERY quick that if they head into the standing corn they are safe (made worse by the fact that the closest standing corn is on property that is locked up tight by an anti-hunter). The deer are heavily bedding in the corn and don't have to go anywhere to get to anything. There is a small stream also on this property and the deer hit it at night. I love that the corn is up till late Nov. here, it gives the deer alot of nutrition, but it REALLY makes for some tough hunting.
Corn can be your great for you or bad. It depends, I honestly would love for the corn to stay in through gun season on our farm. When mature buck feels a little pressure he gets down in the corn. I watch MR. Mass fly out of the last standing corn in 2007. I knew he was there, I setup the best I could. It's frustrating when you know where they are and you cannot get to them(or him). I prefer a little corn left only on my land:D
Believe me when I tell you, I know all about hunting pressured properties.... I could take you on the grand treestand tours on the properties I hunt... I believe this to be false... They must eat more than just corn and water more than just at night to survive. Those deer leave the corn MUCH more than most people think. IMO.
Just in my limited experience, hunting my one GOOD stand in a finger of woods that separates two corn fields when the corn is standing yielded limited sightings of deer heading into or out of the corn. That very stand from the day the corn was cut for about a week and a half later showed 5 different bucks coming in at my setup. I can't necessarily put a blanket statement on it and say it sucks, but so far, it's been better to me after it's cut.
Not what I was told in IL. The outfitter said that the deer pound the corn so hard that when you gut them, their stomachs are so impacted with corn it's hard. Some deer, usually mature bucks may never leave a corn field until it's cut. The corn was still standing when we were there last year. The guys around the corn field were seeing does. I wasn't near a corn field and I saw 5 does all week and over 20 some buck sightings. My area, corn standing, no deer sightings...well few. I watched my giant go into the corn following a doe and hasn't been seen since. If the corn is up, the deer are usually in it. When it's down, they cannot hide in it and are so much more huntable. And sure they leave it but perhaps only at night. And with the full moon, that's apparent here. Lot's of tracks, no deer to be seen.
Simple, its more cover. True and very true. Both true...but on the last point, the heavy seeking is just about to begin. Hence why I'm heading back to IL on Monday.....whether the corn is picked or not. Again, I just don't like the extra cover.
Is that true? I've heard of deer starving during freeze ups with a full stomach of corn because of the lack of nutrition. I believe this doesnt happen over night but after weeks of no other food sources. Could all be BS as well, i dont know.
I believe you entirely, but when one of the properties I hunt has roughly 75 acres planted in corn/alfalfa, and 25 acres that is timber. I was through this property in the spring and found 11 stands still up in the woods. I know what pressure is. Yes, they leave the corn, they have to.... but when that corn borders an alfalfa/clover field, and a thin section of timber (at most 45 yards wide) that has a small stream and numerous deadfalls (all of this property is posted), it makes hunting the surrounding property nearly pointless. Standing corn can be a huge help, but it can also kill almost any chance at a buck... it really depends on the terrain and the pressure. I can say without a dought that the standing corn has "killed" my honey hole property this year... I saw exactly 2 bucks from stand from Oct 3rd til Oct 26th. Last year (when those same fields were planted in Soybeans) I saw ATLEAST 1 buck every other sit. Later in the season... Dec/Jan I would LOVE to have standing corn around... it would especially be nice this year since our acorn/apple crop was terrible.
I think that is the biggest reason most guys don't like it. I will say that I like it standing during gun season. :D
Do most guys not realize those deer are there because of the corn field? When a deer loses cover, it finds new cover.... I'd rather have them hiding out in my standing corn then hiding out on some other property that I cannot access.
Sounds like the outfitter is full of well.... Corn. That is impossible and goes against whitetail biology. It is impossible for a whitetail to never leave a cornfield. Impossible.
BM there is a lot of truth in that statement. When I have corn on the west side of our farm it's lights out for me. I always shoot a nice buck. 2005 yes 2006 yes 2007 no corn, no buck(I did see one buck a few times) 2008 planted wheat in both fields, I shot a buck(2.5), but no sightings of a mature buck 3.5 and up 2009 Yes(with 2 sightings and 1 kill) Some years I like corn, some I do not hmmmm
I think you already know the answer to that question. In my area, cover is limited. If they aren't in the corn, they have to take cover in the woods where they appear more accessible. I like standing corn. I always see more bucks when there is standing corn. In the big ag land I hunt, I don't think the bucks prefer the woods for bedding on the property I have access to. They end up on neighboring properties like you said. When there is standing corn, I see 2-3 times the number of bucks. Just my experience in my area. I don't know what happens elsewhere.
The flaw in this argument is.... If a buck is in the corn to hide out because he does not want to be seen... When the corn is cut or if there is no corn present he will just hide out some where else that offers him daylight security cover. If a buck does not want to be seen, he doesn't need corn to hide in.
Another thing I like about standing corn is, I can get in and out close to his bedding area without being seen. When we don't have corn, a deer can spot me from hundreds of yards away. I can sneak in and out much easier. Now I'm no good at killing big bucks so maybe I have no say in this...I do see them though and its almost always when the corn is up.
Corn is across the street (and for some distance) where we can't hunt. They leave it.. but not during daylight. (not often anyhow) BTW, I've gutted deer that have had almost nothing in thier gut but corn.
