Still hunting and stalking deer in standing corn or beans is some of the funnest and nerve racking hunting you'll ever do. Sometimes you won't see nothing and the next time you poke your head into a row there'll be a deer chewing it's cud 15 feet from you looking the other way.

How do you hunt the corn? First, try and get up in a tree to see where the deer are hanging out. They usually will trample a little circle area and you'll also see the trails going in and out. On my Dad's farm one year the does wiped out about a 40 yard circle right near our trailer. You couldn't even see them when they were standing since the corn was so tall. Tracks can help you pinpoint the doors to the cornfields or beanfields. The bucks won't be near the does usually before the corn is harvested. Watch for the yearlings, I've been busted on a few stalks by yearlings I never saw who suddenly popped out to look at the funny hunter on his hands and knees.

Best day to do it is when wind in in your favor from the direction you want to slip in from. I tie a piece of frayed dental floss on my rifle sling and bow to watch the wind and still have it ready for a quick shot. A change in wind direction and the whole game is over. You may hear the deer unassing the field on the othe side if you're lucky.

One key is to get down first and look under the corn or over the bean field to see if you can spot any bedded or feeding deer. If the beans are short or the rack is tall you'll see the tips of the antlers moving around when they shake the flies off. Use your binos to be sure. One guy near our farm, Randy Simonitch, stalked up to a huge buck in the beans. The older bucks will hold the longest thinking you'll walk right on by. They've got nerves of steel.

You have to move very slowly up and into the corn. Be as noise free in your gear as you can because once your busted those snorting does will alert the whole dang field. Be ready to shoot as you lean out into a row, practice really helps here. You won't be able to jump into the row and get set up perfect. Kind of like shooting from a treestand, bend at the waist. I shot a recurve so once I find a deer I back off, get drawn and then lean out and find my sight picture. The rows are wide enough usually to shoot 20 to 30 yards tops.

Another good time is when the farmers start harvesting which is usually when the rut is getting started too. The deer will hold until the equipment is almost on them. Knowing where they'll run to can pay off when they stop to look back in the timberline.

Sometimes the deer will be in a position that you can't get a shot at. I carry a hickory nut in my pocket for just this time. A dirt clod works also. Just chuck it in the direction you want the deer to look. If there're bedded they'll stand before moving. You gotta be quick though on the decision to shoot.

Try it, it's some of the best still hunting you'll ever find.