What do you do? Two examples..
1) I'll select 3-6 shooting lanes, depending how trails are and available sign. Then clear my shooting lanes out completely straight, looking at my tragectory of my arrow path too 30 plus yards, usually about 2 feet wide all the way. This way if a deer meanders through the woods, like deer do, I can wack them as far out as I dare to shoot because they must cross this lane at some point. Also, if the deer doesn't "stop" in the exact spot I have a little flexibility being at least 2' wide. I usually will attempt to have all my stand areas cut 4-8 weeks before the season starts, so the deer can adjust.
2) My buddy will only trim a few branches and select his shots based on this, as he claims - which is viable. He doesn't want to change his terrain and spook the deer.
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IF we all ARCHERY hunted with our QUIVERS loaded with Slim Jim's, WOULD the WORLD be a SAFER PLACE???
#2. When I trim shooting lanes I try to make it little as possible but enough to where I have no worries with arrows hitting branches. The branches and stuff I cut I'll drag off of the trail a ways so the deer won't notice something foreign in a spot that wasn't there before. They catch on to this stuff quick if your careless with it.
I follow #2, only cutting out what is neccessary to open up a couple lanes. Then I'llhang the small cuttings off branches in areas that might be too open to help out with my concealment.
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Yeah Shultz-I do the same with the branches with removing them from the site and I'll actually take dirt from the ground and rub the cut ends to dull the finish.
# One for the deer and # two for the other hunters passing through.
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IF we all ARCHERY hunted with our QUIVERS loaded with Slim Jim's, WOULD the WORLD be a SAFER PLACE???
I follow #2, only cutting out what is neccessary to open up a couple lanes. Then I'llhang the small cuttings off branches in areas that might be too open to help out with my concealment.
Took the words right out of my mouth
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Yeah Shultz-I do the same with the branches with removing them from the site and I'll actually take dirt from the ground and rub the cut ends to dull the finish.
# One for the deer and # two for the other hunters passing through.
Cool!! I thought I was the only dork who did that, I believe it is a good practice to do.
#1. I like to clear numerous shooting lanes that are fairly generous in size. The one thing I feel you really need to be careful with is keeping an eye on your background and ensuring that you are not skylighted. I have cleared shooing lanes in the afternoon, and had deer eating the leaves off of the branches I cut down that evening. I don't think a deer knows if you cut it or if it just fell down. I am just careful to not block their trails. I do cover the cut ends with dirt though. Just habit I guess.
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"We cannot expect the Americans to jump from capitalism to Communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving Americans small doses of socialism until they suddenly awake to find they have Communism" - Nikita Krushchev 1959
I cut as little as possible as early as possible, now is the time to do so...
When hunting with a climber, moving around in season, I seldom trim...
I have both an extendable trimmer that I use for limbs that can't be reached from the ground, but one quick and easy way to trim is with a 12 gauge, full choke and high brass 6s...This will cut a limb from 20 feet or so and as big as 3-4 inches in diameter...
Clearing shooting lanes
