I used to hunt in THICK canebrake swamps. This was a mix of pines, hollies, and shrubs head high. My buddy would cut lanes radiating from his tree stand for 60+ yards. This was for gun and bow and cut in the summer and re-trimmed each year. What he found was the bucks would walk around the end of his lanes. I prefer cutting just windows if necessary. The upper branches if possible, rather than the whole tree. Take the limbs down the trail with you and drop them somewhere else. That's if it's pre-season. In season just what I can reach from my stand.