I'm going to be hunting a new area this weekend, and I'd like some advice on how I might set up my stands.  I was given permission by a friend's family to hunt part of their family farm, the area outlined in red on the MS Paint pic below.  They own a signficant amount of adjoining woodlands, but this area is leased to a hunting club.  However, the woods immediately around the fields is off limits to the club, but apparently the deer have been moving heavily into the fields, and the owner's want them thinned.  They have offered to let me freely hunt the area around the fields, so I'm going to head down this weekend for two days of hunting.  

Only downside is this property is a 3 hour drive from my house, and I've been so heavily scheduled this year I've barely had time to hunt more locally, much less make a day trip to scout the area.  The owners are not hunters, so they really had no advice beyond "deer are in the fields".  Since I'll be going in cold, I was hoping some of you regulars in the forum could through out some advice as to how you might set up in this area with two hunters.

A few more details:

In this area of Virginia we can use rifles, but we must shoot from a tree stand.  Technically I can hunt from the ground with buckshot only, but I think with so much open area rifles are the way to go.  

There will be two hunters, myself and my SO.  This will be her first time in the field hunting.  I had her using a tree stand during the off season, so she's reasonably comfortable climbing (and will of course wear a harness).  She's been shooting for years with me now, so she's very capable and safe with her firearms handling.  

My initial thought was to find some nice trees to hang stands near the edges of the field with good fields of fire, and just get in early and hope for deer moving along the edges of the field.  This is a meat hunt, as I still have space for at least two deer in my freezer.  With multiple buck and doe tags between us, I'm hoping in two days we can get two deer.

my guess would be that the deer come in up the creek on the southeast corner. So I would want to be able to cover that the best. Other than that I would say it depends on the direction of the wind. Sucks that you can't stalk. these would be my choices.  first choice would be the east x, then the west x and then the north x.

East gives you full coverage of the field and likely not shooting toward houses.
west gives you easy picking on the wash and in the timber
north lets you cover most of the field, but you might be shooting at the south house.

all are close enough to a road

shooting left to right appears to be safest due to driveways and houses...

Other than that, set up based on wind...

Those inside corners are usually good for bucks cruising.

But if you can run the field edges looking for obvious entry/exit trails, that would be a good start.

I'm jealous !  Very cool oportunity you have !

Walk the perimeter of the field, bring a gun, finding the deer trails leading into the field. Find the main trails and hunt in between some.

In my experience, does enter a clearing or crop field one way, and bucks cruising for poon enter from a different trail

Whatever you do, please be very mindful of the houses in close proximity to that field. If I were hunting it, I would setup in the thin line of woods between the houses and the field along the northwest field edge. That way I would take out the possibility of shooting towards them.

My guess is that deer will only be in the fields early morning and late evening.

If shotguns are required on the ground, I'd bring one along and still hunt the woods during the middle of the day.  That will give you a better idea of the deer trails and where they are entering the fields.

And if you need another VA hunter to join you after the holidays give me a shout.