Joe D.

I have been interested in hunting a particular area for quite some time on public property. It’s kind of a hike walking, so I know not many bow hunters hunt the area. The area consists of 2 fields separated by woods on either side of both fields. The woods in the center separating both fields are kind of a thinner woods line. I saw many trails while walking around in the heavy wooded area where the deer come from to feed in the fields. I set up on a rub line about 100 yards in the woods, but didn’t see anything. As it was approaching quitting time, I left the woods, walking along the edge of one of the fields. There were about 20 deer in the field jumping through the corn stalks, which I spooked.

My question is what would be the best possible tactic for finding where these deer are exiting the woods into the fields to eat? The only solution that I could think of was getting there before dark with a pair of binoculars to see which trail they are using. Also, would the thin wood line that separates the two fields be a good place to set up in if I find a trail going from one field to the next?

adams

I'd get an areial photo at

www.terraserver-usa.com

and look for bedding areas and set up between the fields and the bedding area.

JPruiett

Yeah I would post up just inside of one of the fields...whichever one is heavier used....and this way you can see if you need to make adjustments to the stand spot by glassing with binoculars. I hunted some public land like this...saw deer 4 out of 5 times. Coulda shot a doe, and a buck ran up to my stand the first day before I even got my bow up. Good Luck

BarnesX.308

Don't get too hung up on rub lines. They are a good sign but the bucks may have made them at night. Your best bet is to find the thickest cover (bedding area) and set up on a heavy trail that goes into that cover. Then you can catch the deer as they go from their bedding to feeding areas. As the rut gets closer, bucks will use these trails more in pursuit of does. Good luck.