While the exact origin of corn is unknown, archaeological studies indicate that corn was cultivated in the Americas at least 5,600 years ago, with strong evidence suggesting American Indians were growing corn extensively long before the discovery of these continents by Europeans. Today, in the United States alone, field corn is grown annually for grain on from 55 to 60 million acres.

From breakfast cereal to ethanol, livestock consumption to paper, crayons to lipstick and countless other products, corn is a valuable and necessary component of everyday life in America. Come fall each year, corn also provides an invaluable and major food source in deer country.

Any hunter living in the Corn Belt understands the important relationship between corn and deer, and a good majority of those hunters know how to take advantage of this treasured resource. Finding a well-used deer trail entering or exiting a cornfield and spending time on stand near these travel lanes is a widely used hunting technique.

It's also common knowledge that since deer are edge creatures, hunting cornfield/woods edges has long been a popular and productive way to hunt. In fact, standing cornfields create some very specific edges and ambush locations that are often overlooked by hunters.

On any given farm, there are permanent topographic, biological or manmade features that make deer travel more predictable. Since these locations tend to deviate very little from year to year, the places we sit often remain constant, too. Well, guess what? Mature whitetails know it! Another disconcerting factor sometimes enters the mix as well. On much of the land we hunt, we never know when some other hunter might start traipsing around in our hotspot!

If this common problem is something you contend with each year, it may be time to try something different. Hunting the permanent features may not be your only option, especially in agricultural country where hunting pressure may just send deer hiding in the corn. While most funnel, bottleneck and edge areas are permanent and popular hunting locations, there is a temporary edge created by standing corn that may help diversify your approach.

THE PATTERN
In addition to being an important food source throughout the Corn Belt, corn is also important to deer as a source of cover from late summer through harvest. If deer are spending a good amount of time in the corn, so should we. Yet many of the best funnels and edges are those that are the most difficult to identify by hunters. While cornfield edges certainly aren't hard to find, the right ones can be.

I'm not referring to the corn/woods edge so common in farming country, even though a good number of deer are harvested in these spots each year. I'm referring specifically to cornfield edges that create a temporary funnel area from one body of cover to another.

The reason these cornfield edges can work to your advantage is because of the security that standing corn provides. As other hunters are out schlepping around in the woods, a good number of deer seek and find refuge in the corn.

Research has shown that some deer spend much of September, October and early November in the corn, venturing out only at night. This is especially true in areas where hunting pressure is high.

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