Trails and Pathways

[Troutman10]

I have quite a few deer trails on the land that I'll be hunting in the falland ended up clearing them out a little bit more. I also ended up makinga couplenew trailson the property. Is it a bad idea to clear deer trails out a little more than they already are? Is it ok to make a couple trails through thick areas? I'm doing all this now so that I don't have to do it before season. Does it scare them away? Just wondering what everyone else does. Any help would beappreciated.

[boonecountybowhunter]

In my opinion, I would mess with them as little as possible. If you have to clear your shooting lanes from your stand to the trail, thats one thing, but if you're actually making the deer trails wider where the deer can get through easier? I wouldn't do that if it were my property. But thats just my opinion. I may be misunderstanding what you're meaning too. If so, please let me know

[DougE]

You're better off to leave them undisturbed in my opinion.

[Phade]

That could do damage to your hunting. Especially if that was a buck travel route. You may have "opened" it up enough that they don't feel secure to move through.

I'd be doing some distance scouting to see if I'm noticing keys that tell me I messed them up...like exiting areas into fields at noticeably different point. Buck are a creature of habit right now, notice a twist, and you need to do the homework to get back on them.

[RonM]

I have cleared trails for deer and they seem to like it or at least use them. Just last week I did mine, they use an easier path to walk thru too.Occasionally in the fall I will just drop a little corn on them to keep them coming back, this is around home where I have the equipment , in the mountains I dont take mowers up 250 miles to clear trails....