MassBowhunter,
5years ago, I got the bright idea that instead of hopelessly waiting for a big buck to come out of a very thick thicket right in the middle of our 500 acrea I was going to go in and get him.

There is a thin winding 4-wheeler trail that goes right through the middle of the thicket. One day after the season, I found a deer trail that crossed the 4-wheeler trail. I crawled on my hands and knees until I found a bedding area that would be impossable to sneak up on. I thought, you know, If I could just cut a trail just big enough to walk through from the pipeline (which is a good 250-300 yards) I bet I could slip in quietly to a tripod stand. If I could get in there quietly without a 4-wheeler, I bet I could catch a buck during the rut checking out some of the does bedded in that thicket.

Well in the spring after the season, I started cutting my trail. I used a compass to try to stay on course towards the pipeline. It was very tough work. After several days of work on my days off, it finally got too hot and the mosquitoes sent me home before I cut all the way through. I probably cut about 150 yards a trail just wide enough to walk through, and I did get my tripod stand set up.

I did not hunt the tripod the next year, but in my preseason scouting, I noticed the deer were using my 150 yard trail. I was in the same predicament you are in. So that spring, I cut two shooting lanes to see two spots on the trail. I could see two spots on the trail good plus I could see down the 4-wheeler trail to were the deer trail lead to the bedding area.

Well, 3 years ago, on the third day of the season I shot this buck out of that tripod on a nasty rainy day. It took two years of work, and one year to shoot him.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c93/CDavis460/The10.jpg

Sorry such a long story, but I could relate to yours.

C. Davis