Over the 50 or so years, that I’ve hunted, which included pheasants, turkeys, deer, antelope and other wildlife, I’ve found that hunting along the edge of cover, wetlands, shelterbelts and crop fields really paid off for me.

  This week, I made trips to Sioux Falls and as we drove from one type of habitat into another, I spotted rooster Pheasants and hens feeding at the edge of a harvested corn field, with another rooster invading his area, where they beat up on each other, with the winner taking over the harem.

  The same thing goes for turkeys, they like to strut along the edge of a habitat change, to display, keeping a close watch on their hens and when another rooster enters the picture, you can bet that they’ll square off.

Bucks will travel around and before sunlight, and out adjacent to the habitat change, attempting to impress the does feeding in the field, keeping their eyes out for any buck that gets too close to the does.

  Hunting the edge, works best in the early morning, as the wild game attempting to finish eating that last bite before heading into the cover,

 With wildlife coming out into the open to feed, just before the sun sets, to start feeding. You may come across different species of wildlife.

  In the spring, when I’m scouting, the rooster pheasants will be in the open strutting, trying to impress the hens.

When going after gobblers I work in along the edge, make a couple of calls and if I get a response, set up along the edge with my decoys out in the open field, quietly calling as the bird moves towards me.

  With deer, during the rut, the bucks will travel great distances looking for a receptor doe, trailing the doe, forcing them to cross the open ground, the edge to follow the doe.

  During the hunting season, if I have a choice where I’m going to walk, it will be along the edge, as the pheasant are pushed towards the end of the field, they’ll head for the edge to escape from the hunters pushing their way through the field going airborne, giving me the best opportunity to bag the bird

  The edge is where you’ll find the most wildlife, giving you an idea as to what species are found in that area, you’ll want to be keeping a close eye on the change in habitat, the edge.