Mike wrote:In the woods its all about travel corridors and bedding. I don't like the deer to go where they want so I try to funnel them as much as possible in several ways. I use some snow fence in areas, and a lot of hinge cutting and trail enhancement. This combined with clearing out the trail you want them to use and spraying it with some bareground herbicide creates deer highways. All my in woods stands have multiple trails coming together and and are near bedding areas. There is a rubbing post and probably a big mock scrape (or 10) around too. If the big guy comes in I want him to stop, i'm sure alot of guys reading have had a nice one come by but just couldn't get him to stop for a shot, or in the right spot. I think it ups my odds a little, I may not see more big ones than someone else but when I see them they come in range I get a shot (in theory :) ) Stands near these bedding areas require me to get in early and sit all day. Occasionally if I don't have deer around I would quit earlier and sneak out but thats getting pretty rare lately.
Here are what my trails look like typically:
THe thicker it gets the more they use the dirt trails. I always have tracks within 24 hours of clearing these trails too.
Going in this trail I have a smaller bedding area, just some hingecutting and tying over some blue beech to create some cover, and clearing out some flat areas. They love these spots, instead of letting it be how it is I get in there and clean out the areas for deer so they can move around in it and have good spots to lay.
Mike;
Thanks for sending me this thread link. Very cool stuff.
I have to say, when I saw the first pic, I sat back in my chair because it looks so much like a spot that I have a pic of here in MI.
Here is the spot in 2010, the spring after we cut it.
And here is the same spot only 1 year later.
Here's another spot nearby. MY friend Jake took this picture in 2010.
In 2011 I went in to look for it and it took 45 minutes to find the tree.
The arrow points to where my hand was the year before.
Let there be light.