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Post by Ahawkeye on Jan 10, 2021 12:55:04 GMT -5
So hunting public ground can be challenging to say the least but one of my biggest curiosities is old overgrown fields. I know of three or four that are all very similar. These old fields are THICK with trees if the trees were not planted by artificial means then they are ususlly maple and there is little to no undergrowth on the ground most are near rivers. These areas are riddled with deer tracks but no discernible pattern to the chaos. If the field has trees planted in it they are usually spaced far enough apart to allow thick undergrowth but it's still hard to find a main trail. If you hunt an area like this how do you hunt it? Do you try to find an opening and hunt it on the right wind or do you just stay out and hunt the edges?
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Post by Sasquatch on Jan 10, 2021 13:49:45 GMT -5
The big farm I used to hunt had old derelict fields, and the deer liked to bed in them. One of the biggest deer I ever saw jumped up out of one of those. I agree they are hard to read. I think hunting the corner where it joins a woodlot might be good, or anywhere routes in or out "pinch." All wind dependent, I suppose.
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Post by jman46151 on Jan 11, 2021 15:17:36 GMT -5
The big farm I used to hunt had old derelict fields, and the deer liked to bed in them. One of the biggest deer I ever saw jumped up out of one of those. I agree they are hard to read. I think hunting the corner where it joins a woodlot might be good, or anywhere routes in or out "pinch." All wind dependent, I suppose. I had one area that had an overgrown field in it that wasn't old enough to have larger trees but they were about 3-4' tall. I just found a spot where they would cut a corner and enter the woods and hunted the entry into the woods. Deer in the field would use the exit point as well as deer that were just cutting the corner. My in-laws have about 25 acres of 15 year old classified forest that is square with a small hill and there are random deer trails everywhere in there but just two main ones that basically cut it into quadrants. They basically hunt the exit route on the east side. |
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Post by medic22 on Jan 11, 2021 15:49:24 GMT -5
Now youre in my wheelhouse.
CRP bedding is tough, both does and bucks will have areas they prefer to bed, then they will have areas where they just bed. It can become a guessing game. If you can figure out the preffered areas stick with those.
Wind direction will play less into bedding choice on calm days as they can hear you coming from far off. (Mature bucks excluded)
The only discernable pattern ive seen is variable on crop rotation and field locations. Does and younger bucks tend to bed closer to AG till they get pressured heavily (where i hunt).
Trees with thick undergrowth make ideal bedding, but they will bed in native grasses on warmer days.
Trails are easier to spot in january/february when most evreything has died back. Bedding is also easier to find, look for lone or a cluster of evergreens, cattails, phragmite(contrary to popular belief, they will move through phragmite) they provide great thermal cover.
Be prepared to ground and pound.
Edges are your friend, most scrapes will pop up on edges, I like to hunt close to those starting around Halloween, especially if its a corner.
Glass, glass, glass. Most of my offseason scouting consists of glassing CRP right at dusk.
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Post by Ahawkeye on Jan 11, 2021 16:08:01 GMT -5
I intend to do some scouting this week I'll take a look at the areas with undergrowth that is now died back. Still though I have two spots with 3" thick trees with zero undergrowth and no trail that screams "hunt here" you bring a good point about crop rotation though.
I've been chipping away at these spots for a few years now it's just hard to sit one of these areas when I've got spots that are producing deer. I mostly hunt pinch points and trails along bedding areas looking for bucks cruising past trying to wind does.
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Post by medic22 on Jan 11, 2021 16:23:44 GMT -5
I intend to do some scouting this week I'll take a look at the areas with undergrowth that is now died back. Still though I have two spots with 3" thick trees with zero undergrowth and no trail that screams "hunt here" you bring a good point about crop rotation though. I've been chipping away at these spots for a few years now it's just hard to sit one of these areas when I've got spots that are producing deer. I mostly hunt pinch points and trails along bedding areas looking for bucks cruising past trying to wind does. When I commit to hunting CRP, Im commiting to long stretches of dissappointment and occassional payoff with a great buck. Its an absolute headache and I cant pry myself away from it. You have to get creative. |
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Post by Woody Williams on Jan 11, 2021 18:59:14 GMT -5
I intend to do some scouting this week I'll take a look at the areas with undergrowth that is now died back. Still though I have two spots with 3" thick trees with zero undergrowth and no trail that screams "hunt here" you bring a good point about crop rotation though. I've been chipping away at these spots for a few years now it's just hard to sit one of these areas when I've got spots that are producing deer. I mostly hunt pinch points and trails along bedding areas looking for bucks cruising past trying to wind does. When I commit to hunting CRP, Im commiting to long stretches of dissappointment and occassional payoff with a great buck. Its an absolute headache and I cant pry myself away from it. You have to get creative. Bingo! A property I hunted in Illinois was mostly CRP. Fortunately it had a couple of old fence rows running through it. One particular fence row had a pretty good sized oak in it. Big branches for great cover and high enough to be able to see down in the CRP pretty decently. I saved it for the Firearm season. 20 minutes after shooting time I had a almost all white doe step out 40 yards.. I had seen her multiple times in archery season and had already made up my mind to kill her with my crossbow or not at all. i passed her and she became a “not at all” and that was OK. A half hour later I could see a nice set of antlers coming through the weeds. He was passing me at 40 yards when I stopped him with a BAH. I could just see his head and the top of his back. I got on his back above his shoulders and put the crosshairs down lower. I squeezed it off the Shot and down he went. I thought he was an eight and I had seen him before across a bean field. It turned out he was a big six with upswept beams. No matter I like him!  |
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Post by duff on Jan 11, 2021 19:05:55 GMT -5
That is a huge 6!
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Post by jjas on Jan 11, 2021 19:11:06 GMT -5
When I commit to hunting CRP, Im commiting to long stretches of dissappointment and occassional payoff with a great buck. Its an absolute headache and I cant pry myself away from it. You have to get creative. Bingo! A property I hunted in Illinois was mostly CRP. Fortunately it had a couple of old fence rows running through it. One particular fence row had a pretty good sized oak in it. Big branches for great cover and high enough to be able to see down in the CRP pretty decently. I saved it for the Firearm season. 20 minutes after shooting time I had a almost all white doe step out 40 yards.. I had seen her multiple times in archery season and had already made up my mind to kill her with my crossbow or not at all. i passed her and she became a “not at all” and that was OK. A half hour later I could see a nice set of antlers coming through the weeds. He was passing me at 40 yards when I stopped him with a BAH. I could just see his head and the top of his back. I got on his back above his shoulders and put the crosshairs down lower. I squeezed it off the Shot and down he went. I thought he was an eight and I had seen him before across a bean field. It turned out he was a big six with upswept beams. No matter I like him! Heck of a 6 pointer! I had a 6 pointer about 2/3 that size this year (30 yards from me during the gun season) and elected to pass. Will I ever see him again? I doubt it, but if I do he'll be a cool deer to take. |
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Post by steiny on Jan 13, 2021 16:08:00 GMT -5
I love old grown up fields, great bedding areas. Deer feel secure in all that cover and move around in daylight hours.
Great place for an elevated shooting house where you can sit all day. If any timber on the edges, set a stand on a downwind side where you can observe a decent size area.
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