What time to head out opening morning?

[JIvers]

I am going to have to deal with a whole lot of standing corn this Saturday on my ground in Fillmore County. Long story short, in combination with the northwest wind and possible forecast for opening day, I am considering waiting until 8:00 AM or so to head out.

With a NW wind no matter how I approach the makeshift ground blind I will be using Saturday, my scent will be blowing across either the corn or the timber it borders. I will be hunting on the edge of a field drive/grassy strip between my timber and the corn. (My normal n/nw wind location is useless do to the standing corn.) The open strip is about forty feet wide and just shy of three hundred yards wide. The timber will be upwind of me, and my scent will be quartering across a bit of the corn. No way around that.

I am hoping to catch deer moving between the timber and the corn, as well as using two forks on a waterway in the corn that will be upwind of me. I have that forty feet or so of grass and field drive to shoot in, including the ends of the waterway; everything else for a half mile around is standing corn or timber.

This is a less than ideal shooting situation, and on top of that with rain and wind I suspect a lot of deer will be bedding downwind of me in the corn rather than the woods. On Sunday the wind is supposed to be out of the south, and that will make things better for me. I can use one of my tower blinds under those conditions, and have a bit of open ground to watch in addition to the field drive and waterway entrances.

I am thinking that if I wait until normal feeding and movement times are done Saturday morning to head out I will not disrupt the deer's activities like I would if I head out an hour before dawn and they bust me in the darkness. This ground does see some human activity during the day, so while the deer would still scent me out at 8:00 AM I think they would file it away as "humans being humans" and not change their routine.

With the rut going on, other hunters in the general vicinity, and (hopefully) some combines running in the area I should still see some activity during the day. Plus, I'll get to sleep late on Saturday morning.

Thoughts?

[picksbigwagon]

Jivers, personally I would head into Preston for breakfast about 7, take your time heading out to your field and be in the blind by 8:30 at the latest. The local drives will be almost in full swing by then and you will have deer pinballing all over the woods. Then, make sure you are in stand by 12:15 because when the noon whistle goes off, everyone heads to the bar for lunch.

Good luck this weekend, I am heading to farm near Cascade to dig a new outhouse, pull some fence posts and scout for the Iowa deer season.

[ClownColor]

I'd still head out in the morning. I've read countless articles on when people thought they were going to hunt in poor conditions and didn't really want to go out but went anyways and bagged a record buck! As far as scaring them off...I think you'll be okay as long as you take a sloooooow walk to your sight...which should be done regardless.

3 years ago I had a monster 8 darn near follow me from my ATV to my dear stand. Big guy walked within 20 yards of my stand just as I sat down coming down the trail I was just on. A good slooooow walk won't necessarily scare deer off, but sometimes it may intrigue them. Did the buck think I was competition or possible a doe? He sure didn't think I was human.

I guess my point is...it's hard to shot a deer in bed!

[pikestabber]

I guess my point is...it's hard to shot a deer in bed!

+1. Butt in seat = deer on ground.

[HNTNBUX]

I would be in stand still hunting the corn. I have not done it in years because there is no corn where I hunt but I still would enjoy option. Especially given the windy conditions it could be perfect.

[Wanderer]

+1 on HNTNBUX recommendation provided the stalks aren't so close you can't stick your head between them. In the SE MN corn fields I've been around, they plant em pretty tight.

My recommendation if you want to sit the blind and not stalk, get to your downwind approach if you have one and sit tight until legal shooting light. Once you can see well enough to shoot, still hunt to your blind.

You're still maximizing your hunting time that way.

[JIvers]

I'm saving the corn for Monday. Rain possible, and wind down the long rows. If I can sit on stand all weekend and not have to walk sideways across corn rows, I'll do it, even though stalking corn is very effective when conditions are right, and they will be right on Monday. Plus, deer from surrounding timber will have moved in there by then as they are pushed around.

Still haven't decided on when I'll be out Saturday morning.