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Hunting a cornfield

Andrew920

Andrew920

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2022
Messages
385
Location
Michigan
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This is my second year bow hunting, and hunting this parcel. Last year it was a canola field. This year it’s going to be a corn field. I’ve an idea of how and where to go when it was canola, but have zero idea how to hunt this as a corn field. The green outline is the property line. The yellow highlight is my two track access. It is the only access to this property. The bottom right is a swamp that is extremely thick. I’m not able to get thru it until the end of October and generally I’ve stayed out of it.
When it was canola the deer bedded in the property south of mine. Based on what I’ve read and watched it’s my understanding this may flip. In other words they’ll bed in the corn field and go int the woods for acorns and mast. Is that true? I’ve read about stalking the field which sounds fun. Should I still hunt the travel routes from last year? During my scouting this year the travel routes seem roughly the same, but the corn isn’t tall enough to hide them yet. Basically, I’m just looking for some advice on huntimg over a cornfield. This is in Michigan if that matters.
 
NMSbowhunter said:
Check out John Eberhart's youtube channel. He is in Michigan and hunts a lot of this exact type of terrain. He has been saddle hunting for about 50 years on pressured land in MIchigan. He talks a lot about hunting corn.
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I’ve watched some of his stuff. I was watching a video about stalking deer in the field he did. Looked fun as hell.
 
About how big is that field? I'm sure the plan is to hunt the edges, well a plan would be hunting edges
 
Lot of it will have to depend on if its still standing or picked when your hunting it. Deer, coon and other critters eat and sleep in the cornfields when its standing and its hard to kick em out of it unless they have something else on their minds.
 
SNIPERBBB said:
Lot of it will have to depend on if its still standing or picked when your hunting it. Deer, coon and other critters eat and sleep in the cornfields when its standing and its hard to kick em out of it unless they have something else on their minds.
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Seems like it gets harvested within a couple weeks of opening.
 
sureshotscott said:
It's been crazy dry. I'd want to walk that creek if possible before Labor day.

Farmer tell you when corn gets cut?
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I’d need a machete to walk that area. It’s extremely thick swamp area. I’ve done it later in the year last year. The deer tend to cross the swamp mid property where the swaps width is smallest. They will skirt the outer edges of it as well.
 
I asked a friend, as I have no experience. His response

"Got trees on the edge? Walk the field, find the runs, setup within 10 yards of where the runs enter the woods. Almost guaranteed recipe for success" also mentioned that you might find beds out there.
 
I havent hunted around corn a lot but I would expect you will have 2 opposite patterns there. Deer staying primarily in the corn and moving out to the woods late before the corn is cut and then the opposite once the corn is cut. With that in mind I would consider hunting early near the first icon on you map just sw of your yellow access trail, keying on the area where the hardwoods, swamp edge and field meet. Once the corn is out I would be looking more in the area around the inside corner on the south side of the field. That part of the field will be shaded first and I would except deer moving up the topography in that area anyway. I probably would not try to hunt either spot in the mornings for the most part. The western area I might not hunt on the field edge either but back off the field a ways so you can exit without blowing the field out.
 
Andrew920 said:
I’d need a machete to walk that area. It’s extremely thick swamp area. I’ve done it later in the year last year. The deer tend to cross the swamp mid property where the swaps width is smallest. They will skirt the outer edges of it as well.
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Yes sometimes you need to cut your way in/out. EZ-Cut pruners work. I'd want to walk that creek, find existing trails, and look for stand sites for different winds. Lacking trails, you can cut them yourself. Find trail between bedding and food and prep sites accordingly.
 
I would not forget how they traveled last year. Generally there is a reason they travel how they do. Can you get to an observation point before season? Are you after a big one? Or just anyone?

Once the corn is down, hunt the travel corridors to and from the doe bedding to catch Cruzen bucks.
Property I hunt is kinda similar. The does 9/10 times come from the same spot. The bucks cruze those bedding areas in November.
 
Kill'em in the corn. Get in a tree on the edge to get a vantage point. There should be a few places 15-20 yds inside the corn edge that are decimated....this is where they will stage or loiter waiting to enter the woods or where they hang out just upon exiting. I watched more than one buck travel the shade line in the corn and never come to the edge. No way to see what was going on without being in a tree and none ever got close enough to the woods edge for a shot.
Now that the spots are identified, I plan on using a 6' platform ladder.
 
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