hug the woods or middle of field?

[raisins]

i have permission this year to hunt a 300 acre old farm (no crops now and half of it is forest and the other fields they use for hay, with this field being the largest/main field). one spot is on the other side of a field that is 300 yards wide. it is possible that there are deer on either side in the woods. i wouldn't be hunting that field edge but walking through the middle and then ducking into the woods a ways to a pinch point for travel.

i rare see a field like this while hunting public land, so i don't have that much experience, so i'm asking here.

would you hug the side of field that you think is less likely to contain deer or walk right down the center during the day (so no deer are in it) and keep 150 yards on each side of you and kind of act like your the land owner that doesn't hunt them and hope the distance and tree cover means that no deer see you or if they do then you are too far away to spook them, especially since they see people semi-regularly all year?

 

[jhunter13]

Any chance you can share a google earth shot if the field?

Hunting rifle?bow?

I wouldnt sit in middle of the field, youll bust everything out when you walk out at dark.

 

[Cotton-Eye]

Where I am, walking down the middle of the field works best.

 

[Bigterp]

Have a very similar scenario, I access through the field but a I have some terrain & can stay mostly hidden until later in the year then I’m pretty sure they can see me a mile away

 

[raisins]

Any chance you can share a google earth shot if the field?

Hunting rifle?bow?

I wouldnt sit in middle of the field, youll bust everything out when you walk out at dark.

can't send a screen shot right now, will later

i wouldn't be sitting in the field, just travelling through it to the woods on the other side

 

[Bowmanmike]

Middle of the field for sure. I think it is unlikely the does are bedding close enough to watch the field. Plus if you walk either side the deer would smell your travel path as soon as they enter the field. Some deer don't care,others might freak out.
I would leave through the woods after dark.

 

[SNIPERBBB]

Much quieter walking through the field as sell. Assuming there's not corn stubble laying around

 

[useyourbow]

Walk straight down the middle and don’t stop. Deer in either wood line will probably just watch you walk by at 150 yards. If you stop though all bets are off.

 

[raisins]

I'm just gonna park far away and then act like i'm a civilian looking at butterflies and just scoot through the middle of the field. Thanks for the input.

There's other ways to access, but it'll blow my scent the wrong way, which I think is worse in this case.

 

[Tjraley2]

Agreed middle of field, assuming it’s pretty flat. I don’t mind so much if bedded deer see me walk through. I worry a lot about deer that are up for the evening catching my ground scent.

 

[raisins]

Much quieter walking through the field as sell. Assuming there's not corn stubble laying around

Nah, recently mowed for hay.

 

[kyler1945]

Go ask the farmer what he wears to cut hay. And then buy the same model tractor. You should be in business!

the civilian butterfly costume is too obvious.

 

[Still Kicking]

I have hunted a similar set up for 4 years and walk right through the middle. I may spook a deer going out occasionally but it hasn't kept me from filling tags every year.