My father grew it.
We planted the field corn earlier then the sweet corn.
We would check the corn every day or so when the ear looked full. We even ate the field corn until it got hard or the sweet corn came in.
Just check it as the silk is full but still blonde.

I grow it, for about 6 years now.

It's field corn, to use completely mature. You leave it out until frost.

If you eat it, like all corn, milk stage is when it is best, not early milk stage when it is like half the crap you get in grocery stores, three days or more from proper milk stage but full milk stage which can last a very short time or a quite long time depending on variety.

Use a finger nail to check the stage.

I like corn that is just over the peak, but that is me.

Milk stage is not best for cornbread :)

I have been finding lately, to get a mature ear, one must wait on browning of the shuck to grab an ear that is full.

I think it might be the lack of rainfall or watering.

A friends Dad grew it and the kernels are super large but I can`t seem to get that kind of result. I have tried it the last 2 years. His Dad said you only have 4 or 5 days to get it in at maturity.

The kernels on my ears look shriveled. Even when gathering a week after silk browning. ( Lack of water I am guessing? )

I think I am doing something wrong. This stuff is beating me down like a bad mule! LOL!

Serious drought stress changes things, for sure. HK generally goes 10-12 feet tall in decent soil. How tall are your plants?

My plants are between 8 to 11 feet in height. Most are around 8 or 9 I think.