Status

Crop Watch: Monitoring the Grain Status

Crop Watch: Monitoring the Grain Status

Crops play a big role in economics, world hunger and many other important things. But without question, they impact deer, too. Resourceful hunters recognize this and use it to their advantage.

That’s why I’m paying attention to three eye-opening factors right now. And if you have access to places these things could be happening, you should, too.

No. 1: The Corn Is Coming Out

Standing crops — especially corn — can dictate how deer use the landscape. More importantly, it influences where they bed.

Now, while it does happen, I don’t think deer bed in standing corn quite as much as people think they do. However, I do believe it causes them to bed in small pockets of cover that’s within or connected to standing corn. But once that corn comes out, those pockets are (generally) no longer desirable bedding areas.

That’s what’s happening right now. And I’m waiting patiently to hunt stand locations that allow me to catch deer as they move toward these fields full of yellow acorns.

No. 2: The Last of the Green Beans

I haven’t hunted much the past couple weeks because patterns have been changing and I’m having to relearn deer. Wind directions have been terrible for the areas I want to hunt, too. All said, there is one spot that I really like right now. It’s about 5-acres of late-planted soybeans and the deer are flocking to them. All the other beans have turned.

But the best news? These few remaining green soybeans are located directly between the best bedding and a fresh-cut cornfield. That’s two prime food sources in a linear direction that connects to a good bedding area. You can bet I’ll be taking advantage of that for the next couple of weeks.

No. 3: The Hidey Hole Food Sources

I love secluded food sources. Deer love them, too. That’s why I’m paying close attention to a few secluded clover plots (and other food sources).

I’m patiently waiting for some of the target bucks I’ve been watching all year to show a daylight pattern. And they likely will, eventually. I just have to restrain myself from hunting those areas until the time is right. That’ll most likely be in early to mid-October.

So, remember, monitoring the grain status (and other food sources) is important. Along with good bedding cover, water and hunting pressure, it’s arguably the biggest influencer in whitetail habits and patterns.

Don’t Miss: Deer Season Highlights Week 2: More Big Bucks, EHD Impacts, and Close Encounters

The post Crop Watch: Monitoring the Grain Status appeared first on Midwest Whitetail.

Josh Honeycutt
Midwest Whitetail