Where would you set up?

I am new to this site and I must say that I am so happy to be here. I have hunted public land in Wisconsin all of my life. Really, it's been like 2 lives,,,, I hunted every chance I could when I was young and then when the kids started coming in the late 90's, priorities had to change. Well, now, 6 kids later, I have introduced my 12 ands 10 year olds and they have the same passion that I did when I was young. e hunt exclusively on public land which is pretty much half AG and half woods. It all looked very promising after post season scouting last year and scouting regularly throughout the summer. We were seeing very good sign and had a pretty good handle on travel routes and food sources. We are just not seeing the deer that I thought we would. The area is high timber and some ag fields. This years crop are soybeans (last year was corn). Other than the brown and dried up soybeans and the very scarce acorns in the woods, there is some green natural grasses in the meadows. Deer are still mostly nocturnal. I would like some of your thoughts on where to focus between now and the rut. I am a little frustrated. Thank you all.

It sounds as though you have been doing things right. Your scouting has already located the travel and food sources. Being early in the season I would stick with the food. Are there any bedding areas that you could locate? The sign will pick up as the weather cools and the rut nears. Take your kids hunting. With their passion you described every hunt regardless of the results will be a success and rewarding.

Welcome to the site

First off welcome to the site!
Look for pinch points 50 to 100 yards up their trail from the fields. I love pinch points. Here in Mass. we have lots of stone walls out in the woods. I like to find where they are broken down and where the deer cross them and set up there.

pinch points, pinch points!! This is about all I hunt on public land, and occasionally where trails merge. We don't have any Agricultural fields down here on public land.