Self-Made Deer Trails
 

I was wondering if this is normal for anyone else. I have been hunting the same private land for the past 9 years. It is a mix of timber and pasture with a pond and an occasional small field. The timber borders the pasture, which is really thick pasture, like usually 3-5 feet high in alot of areas. Well anyways...a few years back, me and my father used a week mower down there to clean up the areas and to cut a path from the entrance of the land, to our ladder stands. This was probably about 6 years ago now, and from us walking the path to the stands, and occasionally driving out to the stands for whatever reason during the off-season, there is still a path. What I find interesting is that every season since that year we cut the path, including the same year we cut it, probably only 2 months later, that is the most heavily used deer trail that i see. It seems the deer use that trail more than any other one, even during hunting season and my brother, my father, and I all walk down that same path to our stands. I have only used a scent killer, or any scent at all last year, but the previous year it never seemed to bother them at all.....sorry about the long post, but this just seemed to be strange to me, after reading about how alot of people say that you should use trail drags, the best cover scents, rubber boots, etc....

RE: Self-Made Deer Trails
 

Yep deer get lazy to just like us. Last year I was hunting a field with high weeds and never could see the deer . I cut paths thru the field and right up to the woods, The deer used that cleared trail and i GOT ONE within a week

RE: Self-Made Deer Trails
 

vogt, a deer will use the trail with least resistance.
90% of archer's use uncented Lacrosse rubber boots.
Listen towhat an archer tells you about deer hunting,
they have to shoot them alot closer than a shotgunner
or rifleman.( 30-35yds). I have never bow hunted, but got
most of my expirence from them. Good luck....RH

RE: Self-Made Deer Trails
 

I have also seen this. Deer do tend to take the easiest way. And think about it, a deer's hide isn't that thick, so you know the briars have to hurt them too. I hunt a place with an old cattle fense up. I cut it where the deer were jumping it and I was amazed at the amount of deer traffic that came through once I cut the wire.

A few years back I got tired of seeing the tips of antlers and the white patches of deer out in front of me. So I went in the front of my stand and chopped and cut two lanes early one morning. Keep in mind this was during Sept and it was still 90 degrees out. So by the time I got done, I was smelling pretty rype. I was like what the hell I done all this work, so I sat in the stand that afternoon and a young buck walked within 20yds of me. Right down the trail I had cut. I got tired of watching him so I eventually took him home with me.

I got within 30yds of the biggest buck I have ever killed. Climbed in the stand, bleated, grunted. Made some sounds of my own and he never moved. He was 30yds in front of me bedded down. He is now on my wall. On the other end of that stick. A few years back I found an area with a couple of white oaks. A really really nice buck was feeding on them daily. I went in two weeks before season opened to hang a stand. Again this was in sept and it was 90+ degrees out. The buck came in that night and didn't come back until around december.

Deer are different. Some smell a human and think nothing of it. Some smell a human and leave the area for months.

RE: Self-Made Deer Trails
 

they have always worked for me and my buddies. we make a 4-wheelere trail and next week or couple days later, there are tracks all over it. deer always take the path that is easiest as RH said. the less cover on them, the more likely they will walk it. and rubber boots work wonders in the warmer days.

RE: Self-Made Deer Trails
 

Vogt, now ya got it.

Time to make some smaller trails here and there for deer to use exclusively, thru maybe a bit thicker stuff. Ain't gotta be hogged or "mowed", maybe some machete work would even do it. Yeah, they look for less restrictive ways.

If you know of travel ways they have been using regularly, sometimes you can drop a tree or position an existing deadfall to force them to go around it, maybe off into your ambush. Complicating the situation by involving creek crossings and such further distract them and increase your odds if you play the cards right.

We are smarter than they are! (Well atleast sometimes-LOL)

RE: Self-Made Deer Trails
 

I cut a trail to one of my stands a few years ago and the deer have used it ever since. I even built a barracade at one point and redirected the trail past my stand and have had some bucks follow it right to my stand. Lazy cud-chewers!

RE: Self-Made Deer Trails
 

Yup deer get lazy and will take the path of least resistance. We have trails in our woods and the deer walk on them all of the time.

RE: Self-Made Deer Trails
 

now THAT is one hell of an idea!!

RE: Self-Made Deer Trails
 

Well it looks like after early goose season is done the weed wacker is going to get a work out cutting through the tall grass and cat tails that lead up to my woods.