Gettin frustrated... My buddy goes in on opening day and takes a buck. My other friend goes with him to scout and takes a picture of a nice 10 with his cell phone as its laying there bedded!! I have been hunting since opening day and haven't seen a deer! WTF!!!! I'm hunting a small strip of woods in surrounded by fields... I figured with this kind of land, I should have good chances of getting a deer early. Now maybe its because this is my first year hunting farmlands, but how much different can it be than hunting the mountains? any suggestions would help as i am ready to just sit back and wait for rifle season!

I would suggest that you find out where they bed down and where they feed. Then set up your ambush spot somewhere in between just off a well used trail. The bucks might not use that well used trail but their route won't be far from it quite often and if you look close you will find it. Look for rubs on the trees, droppings etc. Above all keep the faith and you will likely score. Patience is more then a virtue in bow hunting it's usually a must. Good Luck.

I just honestly dont think there are any deer there!!!! Now two weeks into the season, and I havent even found a pile of $H*T yet!!!! LOL unbelievable!!

There is alot that goes into selecting the proper farm land to hunt especilly when bow hunting. First thing is the crop the farmer is farming, if they wont come to it standing they wont come after harvest. Second is surrounding areas, is there alot of timber close (other than your strip) deer travel and if there is not alot of cover they will move where they feel safest and there is a safe water source. Finally what did you find when you scouted, trails, scrapes, rubs, shed, bedding areas, ect. the first time hunting new property not to mention a new type of land is always difficult but you seem determined and im sure you'll do great! good luck and best hunting!

                                                                             Jackie Wells

Like the others said, patience is a must. I've got a deer opening morning of every shotgun season I have hunted so far. I usually get to my stand about an hour and a half before it even starts to get light out( Take your time don't hurry). I also do my fair share of scouting as well. Deer aren't so predictable in illinois though, with the surplus of grain crops and hay fields, they tend to move around quite a bit. I set up trail cams in spots with obvious deer activity to see whats potentially in the area before I ever decide to hang a stand. If you have other pieces of property to hunt, maybe you should scout those and see what you come up with as well. Whatever you decide, I wish you the best of luck. Hang in there