Last-minute strategy change getting to stands?

[bclark1]

So this year, I was going to do the same thing I did last year. Narrow cornfield behind the house, set out to try and be in the stand 20-30 minutes before shooting light. Just cut straight down the field about a quarter mile and then depending on the prevailing wind just go down the hill to the right or left so as to put the wind in my face. However, I just talked to the guy who hunts the next plot over, and he said he heard deer trotting towards him, presumably when I was on the way to my stand. So I'm spooking them evidently. I've gotten a suggestion to go out right at legal light so I can shoot whatever I see on the way to my stand. What does everyone else think? The field just has a slight roll to it, you can see for 150-200 yards, it curves, then you can see for another 200-300 yards. I took a doe on it a little under 200 last year, it's a heck of a shooting lane. My stands are in high-traffic areas though, and I typically saw a ton of deer come through, pretty early after light. I'm not worried about filling my tags (deer are everywhere and there were several I could've probably gotten with a bayonet last year if I wanted to roll like that) but to try and see a buck worth shooting, do you think I'd be better served by moving slowly to my stand after shooting light or trying to get out and into my stand as early as possible? The real question behind the decision is, would you expect the older, warier deer to be on or near the cornfield before daybreak, or would they be back in clearings in the woods or deeper thickets? Maybe in years to come I'll be able to afford some game cams, but just trying to decide whether to go with the standard procedure or switch it up this year based on the new info.

Thanks!

 

[USMC - Retired]

If you want to get a big dominant buck in a "high traffic" area you need to wait to hunt it during the rut. Till then the big 'ol smart guys hide out during daylight hours and stick to heavy cover. Thats how they got old and big. But during the rut they follow the does and if the does are used to using this area and feel safe they will keep doing it. So, let them get that warm fuzzy, this is a safe place feeling till the rut hits then wait for 'ol mossy antlers to come find em. Go to your stand a good hour before shooting time and take your time getting there as quiet as possible. Also, avoid using a flashlight if at all possible. You should move to your stand as if your still hunting on the way in. Move only about ten percent of the amount of time your standing dead still and observing. Thats why you need to go in so early. It's a bit more work but that's the price you pay if you want to bag the big guys.

 

[bclark1]

Rut's this weekend. To clarify on the "high traffic" bit - the two stands I was referring to, one's on a slope facing a good sized clearing, probably at least a couple acres, I stopped counting deer at around 40 there last opening morning. Lots of does, several small bucks, but no shooters. The other one is down the other side of the hill, facing a lot of cris-crossing paths, there's a lot of rubs in the trees out that way. I've got another couple closer to the house (really just make better observation posts, climb down off of them once I see deer moving and cut them off somewhere) and a few ground blinds dug into another hillside.

Anyway, though, I'd like to get out plenty early like you mentioned - but is there a chance I'd spook them anyway, because they'd be on or around the cornfield before dawn? Or during peak rut, pretty much this week, would they be holed up? Because if I have a better chance of seeing one on the field if I just go out at legal light, might as well do that, but if they're not going to be there to be both an easy shot and an easy spook, it's not worth wasting a minute getting to the stands.

If I just get does again this year, still fine with that, but wouldn't mind a crack at something bigger. Just always have more questions when you're first-generation, self-taught out in the field.