When scouting agricultural areas, where should hunting efforts be prioritized over the center of the food patch?
Answer
The edges of fields where they interface with the thickest available bedding areas
When deer utilize agricultural areas for forage, such as mature alfalfa or irrigated hayfields, the strategy should focus heavily on security rather than just abundance of calories. Deer will utilize the field, but their travel planning is centered on maximizing safety upon exiting the exposed area. Therefore, efforts should be concentrated on the specific edges where the agricultural field directly borders the densest available bedding cover. The deer will naturally exit the field at the point that provides the quickest and safest route back into cover, and that exit point, or the approach to it, is the most strategically valuable location for an ambush.
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