With about a month to go to opener in Minnesota, I decided to make some final preparations for one of my prime spots. Two weeks ago, I bushed in one of my blinds about 25 yards out from a trail what leads out of one slough and into another. I was able to hug it into a clump of trees and lean all sorts of brush against it and over the top. Now I just need to put my plastic lawn chair and bathroom, er, I mean empty gatorade bottle inside and its all ready.

However, I noticed the deer have not been using the usual trail as much as past years. Mainly because some trees fell during a storm and opened up the forest canopy to let even more thick, nasty brush grow up over the trail. So to help encourage the deer to start using it again, I got out the machete on Friday last week and bushwacked my way through. It took about an hour of heavy sweatingand I had to have my wife check me for deer ticks afterward, but I was extremely excited to see deer tracks leading into the trail when I rode by on the four wheeler later on Sunday.

This is the first time I've ever tried this and I guess it worked, for now. Going to get the trail cam out with the flash off and point down the trail next week.

The trail cutting technique is something I learned on these boards. Much appreciated and good luck to everyone this year.

congrats! it's fun to see a plan come together. I've made a few trails for the deer on my property. I planted clover in them this year, just to entice them a little more.

If the brush isn't too nasty I have used a weed-eater and had similiar luck. It involves less sweating as long as it will handle it.