CRP/Cropland Whitetails

[jlmatthew]

Been seriously thinking about hunting the eastern plains this year. I have seen a lot of deer while pheasant hunting and would really like to give it a try. The majority of the deer I'm seeing are muleys, but I would realy like to bag a whitetail this year.

If you guys that hunt western whitetails in the Ag & CRP fields could provide any pointers you have for hunting these deer like how they behave pre-harvest (Corn) vs after harvest, types of cover they prefer, etc, I'd sure appreciate it

Thanks

 

[DHaffner]

Pre-harvest I try to ambush them while they are moving from bedding to feeding areas, or vice versa. Check out safe (hidden) travel corridors like the end rows when a crop contacts habitat. Trail cameras are your friend when you are trying to pattern a buck pre-rut.

Post harvest/rut I want to monitor bedding areas from afar while only hunting travel corridors and feeding areas. Keep an eye on the does because he cares more about them than food. Refuge is a mature bucks best friend, so don't violate that rule unless you have a sure deal. If you have CRP to hunt Sneak in and sneak out and try to ambush whitetails as they move. Forced movement only pushes deer on to the neighbor"s property.

Post rut: Once he has a chance to settle down he needs to replenish his resources for the winter ahead. A secluded place to eat adjacent to a bedding area is where I want to be.

In my opinion most people are far too cavalier with their movement. I try to sneak everywhere I go and then I still find myself bumping deer on my way in and out of the stand. Spend some time on the property before hunting season the more you know the more efficient you will be. If you can plant some food plots the guys at Iowawhitetail.com have an excellent food plot section. I try to coordinate so pheasant hunting ends 10-14 days before rifle deer opens. If you can make a refuge even 10-20 acres where nobody goes for any reason you will hold more/bigger whitetails.

 

[jlmatthew]

Do you find it easier to pattern them prior to corn harvest by them using the same travel routes where cover and crops meet?

 

[DHaffner]

Easier than what? In our area we are bow hunting during that time of year. So you have to get close to them, that is why I pay attention to those travel corridors. If I had a rifle I could still hunt larger sections of CRP.

The easiest time to shoot just any white tail buck is when they are all running around chasing does with their eyes rolled back in their heads.

The easiset time to pattern one specific mature white tail is in December once 99% of the hunting has stopped and they are forced(usually by cold) to eat/move with some daylight left. Seems like once in awhile they will let their guard down. Most big white tails I've chased/watched others chase are very nocturnal early in the season.

 

[DHaffner]

A big whitetail is where you find him. Typically that means a safe place with cover and food. The safest place might be the tree grove next to the farmers house, every property is different. The first thing I would do to improve a property is make a refuge. The second would be sheltered, secluded food. If you are arid, the third thing would be water. Rinse, repeat.

 

[jlmatthew]

Unfortunately I cant improve anything on the properties. The muzzy season is in early October before corn is harvested, and before pheasant season which I could see as a plus because the area would have minimal disturbance

Looking for a heavily used trail leading from cover to corn is going to be my best bet I'm thinking.

 

[30338]

Very rarely do I find them or observe them bedding within 1 mile of feed areas. Often times they are 2 to 3 miles from feed in early season during the middle of the day. Look for yucca flats and canyon grounds where they are bedding.

I have not tried archery for them but have had good luck with muzzleloader, early rifle and late rifle. Great time hunting them out there.

 

[jlmatthew]

Yucca flats eh? there are a few area's that fit that description, thx

 

[DHaffner]

Yucca flats eh? there are a few area's that fit that description, thx

Good luck! let us know how it turns out. If I had to pick a time to hunt them it would be as close to the rut as possible, any weapon.

 

[DHaffner]

One key difference in the way I hunt them in country where there are both mule deer and whitetails is I will hunt the Whiteys in the mornings and evenings around food sources and bedded mule deer during the day. It seems like I'm much more successful locating mule deer in their beds as they will often pick a vantage point that is less hidden so they can see. I've watched more than one big whitetail bed down in cover that you wouldn't think a mouse could hide in and totally make himself disapear. I would rather take a couple extra days to hunt and not do anything that risks pushing bedded deer than crash through bedding covor so I can watch flagging tails race away from me to the neighboring properties. Unfortunately the latter is the strategy for most SD deer hunters...

 

[30338]

I guess they are all kind of individuals in regards to pressure. 2 years ago I missed a 5x5 with a broken g2 in his bedding area. First shot should have drilled him, next two were mostly frustration. Thought I would never see him again. 2 days later he came sneaking back in about 2 hours after daylight and 2 miles from his alfalfa field. He wasn't so lucky that time.

I hunted deer all over the midwest and it seems that in the area I hunt out here that they just don't respond to pressure the same. I'll agree though on the ease of spotting muley bucks bedded versus whitetails. Most of the whitetails seem to prefer to go down in an area where they have no vision but from where they can also not be seen from any angle. Very different approach than mulies.

After a number of years of hunting them out here, I err on the side of aggressiveness. There are enough mature deer that even if I bump a few, there are still others working the area. I do love hunting whitetails on the plains.