Something mobow said got me thinking. He was saying he's been better at getting to and from his stands, this year, undetected. Kudos.

My best spot (evening) is about a 1/4 mile hike into the woods. I sound like a herd of elephants playing kickball getting to my stand, there.....so I only go in the evenings and go early. With the way the deer movement has been here, lately, I'd like to try this spot for a few mornings beofre my season winds down.

I'm afraid I'll bump every deer within a 1/2 mi., though. Do you guys worry about this? Do you just go earlier? Don't go? I keep swearing I'm gonna get one of those rakes for my ATV and keep the major part of the trail raked,........but at $500.....my wife's not reall keen on grooming the woods.

What say ye?

I feel your pain and have the same problem. With the dry conditions and 4 inches of leaves on the ground I'm as noisy as New Years Eve going in these days. I went in on a Sunday and raked out a trail to my stand and that has helped but my stand was only about 150 yards into the woods, I'm not sure if that would be practical for 1/4 mile hike.

I swear I am going to invent deer hoove shaped boots for stealthful walking.

stilts I tell ya!

That's a tough one dude. With your herd density, I'm sure it's a much tougher proposition for you that it is others. Hard to move around in a woods FULL of deer and not be detected.

You just have to pick your routes very carefully. Aerial maps are invaluable here. You may have a longer walk to "walk around" the deer...I'm sure there are places they don't frequent as much as others, giving you better odds of not being detected.

And sometimes, it's just not possible. I have one spot I would LOVE to hunt......BUT, there is absolutely no way to get in there w/out running the deer out. Can't kill 'em if I spook 'em to the next county, so I don't hunt that spot.

There are some obvious points here. Don't walk through bedding areas, feeding areas, and try not to walk across deer trails. NEVER follow a deer trail....and even worse, walking on one.....YIKES.....

Try a leaf blower...Start about 200 yards from your stand...

We have lots of palmettos, which in the dark give noisy new meaning. I've heard deer snorting almost
out of earshot while walking in that crap in the dark morning.

Clearing small lanes with a tractor/shredder has helped a lot this year. They are small and they seem
to actually encourage deer movement (surprise the deer also like the easiest route and not walking
through 5 foot tall palmettos) and it allows us to get to our stands somewhat quietly.

I've had the same dilema. Trying to walk cross country through the woods in the dark with equipment just doesn't happen quietly. Humans are simply not a nocturnal animal. We are out of place in the woods in the dark. Usually right out of the box, you stumble loudly on a branch, then get poked in the eye. Stop and regroup, breathe, allow your eyes to adjust.

I just hate using flashlight.I believedeer can see that from a long ways, and that they can peg it as human and that they can easily peg your location / destination.

Allow yourself a full hour to walk in. Plan on being set up by shooting light. Just go very slowly, allow your eyes to adjust to the dark. One step at a time, every step a prayer.

Wear Treebark........ that's right, it's that good!

Gmatt, just go in in the morning a little earlier and try to be as cautious as you can, which I know you will, settle down in the tree. You will spook some deer, that is given, but from my experience, jumping them has been pretty good to me, I always throw the stand up where ever I jump em, sometimes they come right back within 15 mins. I have taken several deer like this, just my 2 cents.

Jeff when I walk in and I have not cleared a path; I sound like a squirrel. Yes it works.
I walk in on 15 deer about 30-40 yds from my stand. Got up in it and they came by. I had just pulled my bow up.

I take 2 or 3 steps then I shuffle my foot in the leaves. Try to mimic the sound of a squirrel looking for a nut.

I will also clear a path in the early season, not in late Oct you have to go out at night and clear it again.