Raking entry trail to stand

[Four Season Whitetail's]

OK FSW...it tells me the DR WOODS is a deer biologist...by profession  unlike some famous "deer guys" that were tax specialists that got big through his hobby and find a tax right off that got bigger than even he thought.

 

It tells me that he has hundreds of his own land that is not fenced and also manages properties belonging to other FARMERS that aren't fenced to achieve an ALL around better habitat for ALL the animals on said grounds not just for deer, as a livley hood for his family. They turkey hunt and trap as well...that what that name tells me and the direction he has been going in since he left college many...many years ago

So true..Just like every other person that does it..High Fence or not!  Still all headed for 1 thing at the end of the day and thats not to grow the fattest doe possible. It all comes to the same point ever time but many dont want to admit it. Ask him,Charlie,Me or most anyone else that will be truthful and it all ends in headgear. Period!

[growalot]

 

Being aware of the timing and travel patterns of deer has never been a problem for me. I place my stands, arrival times, and access approaches accordingly.

 

 That's a good thing and something, when I do go to camp, I do as well they are very easy to pattern there. Environmentally..those are totally different deer than here...That said You have read, ever year my mentioning no matter when or where I decide to go there are deer bumped, mindful that we're talking over 30 stands ,12 blinds and 2 miles of winding raked and or mowed trails, hunting nearly every day the entire season...which is why I do not have a problem. My realizing this I learned to interact with them, be it doe or mature buck, to keep them in the area ....That is a skill that took me many years to learn, just with calling turkey with my natural voice I have learned to call deer the same way...when to stomp and snort and when not to...to lower my hand and sway it like a tale, grunt blat..bleat and even snort wheeze. There are many nuances to deer movements, body postures, vocals...being with them daily I have learned much.

 

Everyone that hunts decides what they need to learn to receive the best experience they can hope for out of any day a field.

Edited July 29, 2014 by growalot

[growalot]

FSW...jaded thoughts as far as I'm concerned..If all I wanted at the end of the day was head gear...Now remember..I'm about the cheapest person alive...when it comes to my wants .never with family member's. Anyhoo.... If all I wanted was head gear...I would take the thousands I spend on taxes...hundreds I spend on seeds fertilizer gas and diesel. and buy a nice hunting vacation for my self every year, and still come out ahead financially...Yes I like head gear...but when it comes to a really good hunt a challenging hunt...I will always pick a old mature doe to hunt over a mature buck...for he walks around led by his sexual needs(see how polite I was there)..which dims his mind. That old doe...she has one concern day and night...survival ,survival  for her and her fawn...She is on high alert in the fall...

Edited July 29, 2014 by growalot

[Doc]

 That's a good thing and something, when I do go to camp, I do as well they are very easy to pattern there environmentally..those are totally different deer than here...That said You have read, ever year my mentioning no matter when or where I decide to go there are deer bumped, mindful that we're talking over 30 stands ,12 blinds and 2 miles of winding raked and or mowed trails, hunting nearly every day the entire season...which is why I do not have a problem. My realizing this I learned to interact with them, be it doe or mature buck, to keep them in the area ....That is a skill that took me many years to learn, just with calling turkey with my natural voice I have learned to call deer the same way...when to stomp and snort and when not to...to lower my hand and sway it like a tale, grunt blat..bleat and even snort wheeze. There are many nuances to deer movements, body postures, vocals...being with them daily I have learned much.

 

Everyone that hunts decides what they need to learn to receive the best experience they can hope for out of any day a field.

I think another thing that impacts styles and techniques of hunting is the terrain and habitat. Agriculture has long ago left my immediate area, and I do not have any food plots. So my hunting conditions really could be called big woods hunting. Our deer are very much attuned to subtle changes in their habitat. They don't have to put up with people mucking around too much in their habitat. There is no conditioning to get used to farm equipment or human activity.

 

The other thing is that there is no mowing. The top of the hill is not suitable for dragging a lot of equipment up there. I can just about myself up there ....lol. Also, a lot of what I hunt is state land. They take a dim view of that kind of activity....lol. I'm not even sure that it is legal to clear trails let alone rake them clean of leaves and brush. I think not. So a lot of what is being discussed here is not legally available to all those that hunt state land. So we have learned other techniques to get around the problems of approaching stands. And one of those techniques is to move through areas when the deer haven't gotten there yet. That takes a bit of study and quite a few hours and years of experience with the area being hunted. But when you have had 60 or 70 years of hunting the same acreage, that isn't all that big a trick ..... lol.

 

But even with all that said, I still do not charge into my stand breaking every twig and dragging my feet. I do try to keep the announcement of my approach down to a minimum even though I may be convinced that the deer are not supposed to be there yet. Not all deer read the script .... lol.

[growalot]

Amen to that..and yep your situation describes the deer at camp to a tee...all that's needed there is to step out of the camp door and think of deer ..poof!...Guys would all laugh at me 4 am dressed and walking a mile down two roads to get to my stand and sit an hour and a half to 2 hours for the sun to come up...but I was the one dragging in a nice deer . or making sure I was sitting still as they came in for late morning breakfast/lunch....They rarely see ppl. until fall down there...and nothing is done on that property or the adjoining 100 acres...Alfred hills...

[dbHunterNY]

Depends on where and how remote it is.

[HUNTINGS IN MY DNA]

hey I'm not going to get into a whole long paragraph my advice it clear a path when ever you want and how ever many times you want. nothing saids you can't clear a path now and before hunting season. the quieter you are in and the quieter you are out gives you greater odds of scoring