trail clearing...

[growalot]

I certainly hope the next three frost mornings knock down the leafs...We have the winds but I need a lot more leaf drop before Wednesdays 67 degrees....that is when I'll take the backpack blower out late morning until I'm done...rains help but I do not like going into my better stands sounding like a 800# centipede walking across broken glass. with most of the trees dropped the winds here will maintain the trails for the rest of the season,and up to next fall...I've gotten a lot of deer over the years keeping trails clean...besides the fact they like them too...makes running drag lines effective as well

[growalot]

No one else clears their trails before the rut?

[rick67]

Never gave it a thought.

Although predawn with a calm wind. I sound like a "bull in a China shop" I like the fact that it does the same for them.

I always liked the calm morning. Being able to here a grunt in the distance then the hissing sound of the chase of a love starved buck.

Most don't like the calm but the leaves crunching on those calm morning's also helped me pull off the "Draw" which you know, timing is everything.

But if this works for you. Don't stop now.

[growalot]

lol I'm not saying do the whole woods ...I just do the trails to my stands...I love calm mornings and that is just how they should stay...nice and calm as I go in to hunt...This mornings crunch walk is what I think diverted a group fo doe from my stand ....they heard exactly where all the snap, crackle, popping had stopped...no need to wind me their hearing did the job...

[growalot]

Well I grabbed the Stihl ..dang it's heavier than I remembered...and off I went I cleared 13 stands and one blind about a mile of trails and 2 tanks of fuel..my back is on fire! checked cams as I went by ione 440 pics????a fawn yanked a bramble branch out infront of it...little snot...other cams just a couple of pics....LOL...just 2 deer and one possum and that branch...tomorrow I'll finish up the rest..I got all my major stand areas and the trails to them most areas the trees are bare...but my northern property behind the house is still very green...and the canopy is pretty dense...that will have to be done again before gun.

 I will love the quiet walks in now and should see more deer...

[growalot]

Theres the rain to wash away the smell I left  perfect!

[Jeremy K]

Seems a bit OCD grow.

[growalot]

Well that just may be ...but I

I've taken some pretty nice buck that I snuck in on in the dark. As it got light they were bedded as close as 50 yrds away....I'll take the OCD thank you ...

[Kot2B]

I know a few people that do this and I've done it a few times. It makes for a much faster walk in and it's quiet. I just hate raking a ton of land and the trees drop more.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[growalot]

I use to do that raking...and with around 2 miles of trails in this place it took a few days...use to mow it ...but the JD would suck the leafs up into the engine...NOT GOOD...dang near set it on fire one year ...So Mr. B bought the big "professional" Stihl backpack leaf blower seeing we live in the middle of the woods... now it's just a walk around the place carrying a 30# pack...loud(ear protection) and heavy climbing back up the hill. Though surprising enough Many deer just let me walk on by...I'm hunting wrong...I should just be walking around with it on and the hose strapped up during cross bow or gun ...I 'd be tagged out in no time...lol

[BuckThornBooners]

I also have 2+ mi of trails , I did this one year around the end of October and found out the hard way that it was a big mistake.  it looked great and it sure made it easier to find stands but…. What happened is when I got the freeze thaw in NOV it was like walking on a bed of broken glass the loose organic dirt on the bare trails rose up a good 1”+ when frozen   it made the most awful unnatural sound ever. louder than any frozen crunchy leaf .   it was horrid I will never do it again !! 

[growalot]

I've been doing this for 20 years...most of my trails have a natural grass the deer hit hard in the winter and that isn't a problem...though some of them do get some frost heave more wet areas as aposed to the hill side trails...I know the ones and travel those only during the day...we get later heaving type frosts than those in low lying area.........by the time that is an issue I already have some snow fall. That said yep I know what you mean...

[chas0218]

I rake the trail about 60 yards to and from my stand.

[growalot]

Started finally clearing today...Do you know what I love about doing this job...foot prints...thats right I can see the big boys prints and when they are deep through a thick layer of leafs than I know whats in the area and direction...I see good direction in these prints and man I know where I am going to be in the early morning tomorrow....I have a particular ridge stand I haven't used and not too far away is a scrape line...now I have closer stands to that...but the girls are running up and down and the big buck is cross checking the ridge I'm betting as deep wide and long as these are it's the 10 from this morning... I have so many more to do but got a late start and want to keep this a late morning midday thing while they are in the swamps..opened up 12 stands and 4 blinds to day...Dang the tracks are multiple and all over...got a short tined 8pt and small 6 on one cam today....Have a whole lot of ppl blowing trails in the woods this afternoon That is a good thing mine will just be like any other land scape they travel...

[dbHunterNY]

I do on occasion depending how bad things are and only to an extent.  I mostly wear rubber boots and use access roads or atv trails to get in and out.  I clear a trail in to a stand of some leafy duff and mostly sticks and branches so I don't brush up on anything going in and don't have to avoid things that snap.  I've figured out that I can go slow enough that leaf crunch is not as bad as frosted gravel/dirt with respect to noise.  also as you said deer get curious when in comes to bare dirt trails.  so I don't worry about a leafs on the trail.  i'll use a rake.  don't know if I care to tote a leaf blower into the woods.  also I don't think my leaf blower would get the sticks and loud crap out of the way as well.  rather sound like a cracked out energetic turkey than a leaf blower.

[growalot]

LOL we have the professional back pack blower...I can not be leave the amount of branches and twigs that filled back in from te last cleaning...I would end up face planting myself between beech roots and branches...heck I manage to face plant in deep grass....I just step off to the side of the trail when there may be a frost heave but with grass growing that isn't a big problem...other than in mossy areas....Holy cow there are tracks everywhere...went and did out back...just got in...don't plan hunting that area untill later...this is also for the Gator leafs get sucked up under the belly plates and in the engine area under dump bed and branches as well.

[growalot]

Well that only took me 4hrs... I redid the trail to the lower swamp stand ...the one with the rose bush growing in it...holy cow I look like someone hung me up side down in a cat fight...I get down there and notice all the apple on the apple tree are now gone and nothing on the ground....I take off the leaf blower and get out my clippers. Man the at rose was every where and growing through the mess on foot and seat platforms. I was on the ground trying to trim a path to the stand when 20 min. in...... I hear a commotion...turn to see less than 15 yrds away a buck jumping away from me ...Sneaky son of a gun...he lay there as long as he could before bolting...but then I'm hearing movement circling around in front of me...I went back to cutting when suddenly through the rose and dogwood brush  ft away I get snorted at...LOL I about jumped out of my skin...then later more movement out in front of the stand and down farther snorting...that was right near where the houses are so may not have been at me...I was to the top of the stand when I hear a 4 wheeler...its coming in through the neighbors swamp are gets just past my position and up hill and stops..on neighbors land...HHmmm I know who this is and think...... wont he be ticked...the neighbor does not hunt but allows this one guy on next road to hunt...he "wonders" as it were... which is why I disabled the foot rest on my stand...(thanks again Eddie)...He will not be happy to see my nice quiet trail in and I know he wasn't happy when I left running the blower all the way up the hill.

So I sat in the stand and man wind is perfect...they are entering at a perfect couple of trails up wind and to my lft and front...and I could clearly see the trails but also the beds..... they matted down the swamp grass.and reeds to make...not many openings but the best are on a trail that is 12yrds out and runs lft to rt  across the front...and bedding just on the other side of that...as quiet as I have made it and as late as some of the movement in was...this will be great...thank God my knee can handle getting to it again..Exellent now with the new set back laws..I am legal even with gun from this stand(for now) but the ppl down there were not happy about the hunting...especially the tresspassers shooting towards them...I take the bow down..makes them less annoyed. It will rest for a week and then I'll hit it...easy drag to road and I can have Mr B pick me up if need be..