Opinions on how to hunt this oxbow

[Titan_Bow]

Just throwing this out there to spark some discussion. This is on midwest public land. Last archery season I found this spot on the last day of archery season... LOL
Take a look at my pic, in the bottom red circle, I found the largest whitetail rub I've ever seen, along with a series of scrapes and trails converging out to the corn field. The red circle at the top is another "exit" out to fields, with a scrape line and rubs following the edge of trees. I also found a really nice shed during turkey season, out in the middle of the oxbow.
So, how would you approach hunting this oxbow? Stick to the edges in the evening, trying to catch him leaving? Sneak deeper into the back of the oxbow by crossing the creek and slipping in close to bedding? What tactics do you guys employee to hunt something like this?

 

[YellCoAR]

What I would do. Check to see that it is most likely beans for 2022. If so early season could be good. I would glass the field from a distance and try to pattern the bucks entry point. Then I would set a stand with prevailing winds in my favor to that spot. Make sure to set stand the day it is fixing to storm and rain a bunch. Deer in farm country tend to leave an area first scent they catch of human activity.

 

[JBrew]

Personally, depending on access and prevailing wind, I'd look for the trail that connects the block of woods to the east, east of the lower circle.

 

[Forestryguy]

Is the field at top public? I would scout it in early spring, and find beds. More than likely on that point in the waterway. He can go to any field and has escape routes. If beans sit back off field on trails. First sign of other hunters Im getting tight to the bedding cut him off. Only hunt evenings in this area. Unless you can come in on water, but even then he will probably be in bed before shooting light.

 

[Macintosh]

I dont have nearly the experience hunting around ag as a lot of others, so I'd love to hear what other folks would do.
The bottom circle looks a lot like places I find bucks bedding fairly consistently, I'd want to scope out whether that's actually a bedding area or if its simply where a couple trails enter the field. Other than that I'd keep a couple options open for various winds. The wooded peninsula that juts out into that creek to the east of the bottom circle--I assume this is what you mean by the oxbow--looks like a place I'd want to get into, especially if prevailing wind is from the West/NW/SW. I'd be tempted to get in that area in August and find some beds and trails, and maybe prep a stand tree or three and nail the access route so you can be stealthy in-season. River access back there could be quiet, unobtrusive and safe way to get in downwind of the deer, and my guess is that's where a decent chunk of the deer will be. If its a mainly west wind, access to the areas of the circles themselves is way less safe and setups will be really close to the wind, so those I might actually test the wind there if there's a setup I liked so I knew exactly what wind would work to avoid blowing into the bedding.

 

[Titan_Bow]

Is the field at top public? I would scout it in early spring, and find beds. More than likely on that point in the waterway. He can go to any field and has escape routes. If beans sit back off field on trails. First sign of other hunters Im getting tight to the bedding cut him off. Only hunt evenings in this area. Unless you can come in on water, but even then he will probably be in bed before shooting light.

Yep, the field at the top is also public. I also assume he’s bedding out in that point. Good point on the evening hunts, I had thought about the idea of slipping in with my canoe before daylight but would hate to blow him out like that right from the start!


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[Forestryguy]

I am guessing this is an out of state hunt for you. If you are able and you are dead set on going after this particular buck I would use trail cams to help figure him out faster, there are other that probably know about him if he is decent for the area. Just be smart on putting them up so you don't bump him if it is getting close to the opener. Look up Dan Infult (sp?), hunting beast. He has a lot of good info for these scenarios out.

 

[LostArra]

Only hunt evenings in this area. Unless you can come in on water, but even then he will probably be in bed before shooting light.

This is such good advice. I just wish I could force myself to do it more often!

 

[Titan_Bow]

This was the rub I found on a well used trail entering/ exiting the corn field, I the bottom red circle area. Also a huge scrape on the same trail. I discovered this area midday of the last day of archery season and the last day I had to hunt it. I did go in there during turkey season and found a chewed up / broken shed that looks like about a 125-130 class deer.

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[Biggie]

Knowing exactly where that is, I'd make an effort to get there early in the season and catch a cold front over food vs waiting for the circus to come to town during the rut.

 

[WCB]

It is hard to say without knowing the actual cover situation especially along the creek. I have hunted a LOT of places similar to your picture and found the deer bed along the creek more often than not even if the cover isn't real thick.

I also would have ZERO hesitation on hunting in the morning in the right spot and right conditions. Get back in EARLY on the fringe of a bedding area or along the creek on a crossing. Silence your canoe as much as possible. I have killed deer doing this in very skinny pieces of timber. One trick is possibly being able to literally step out of the canoe or out of the creek bank and be in a tree within 4 or 5 steps. Almost no exposure and ground scent and disturbance kept to almost zero. Also, I don't buy the "in bed" by shooting light theory. They may be back in cover but I regularly witness mature bucks roaming around from shooting light to 1 1/2-2hrs after and covering some ground while doing so not in a bedding area...then make an abrupt and precise last travel to a bed. I witness this regularly from early sept to the last day of season.

The longer I hunt the less and less I sit on field edges. I would put money on it that the majority of those rubs and scraps along the field edge were made outside of shooting hours.

 

[Rich M]

Those have to be areas where the thermals flow in the evening. You gotta figure out where the deer/bucks bed and either set up closer to the beds, or play the just off wind game.

 

[Gutshot007]

Tough spots to hunt . We all have only so many days to hunt. Hard to wait for everything "perfect ". Obviously play the wind . Think out entrance and exit to stand in am/ pm least likely to blow deer out early season. My experience these type of spots quickly " burn out " early season from going in and out and sightings go down over time. During rut find the pinch point and camp out all day. Bucks from other areas trolling does. Late season get lucky with snow find trails heading to fields to eat. This might actually be a great very end of the season area with some cold. Sounds like your travelling. Sometimes you have to just "hunt ". Good ideas above on trying to pattern from a distance or cameras . They never follow the rules. Good luck. Shoot straight

 

[Gutshot007]

Agree above . Looks like the cleanest way in there would be by canoe. Just to the right of your top oval , that part of woods to the river question if they cross there to get to field going in an west to east line

 

[wind gypsy]