Entrance/Exit Tips and Tricks

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NatureBoy
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Entrance/Exit Tips and Tricks

Unread postby NatureBoy » Thu Aug 16, 2012 5:33 am

Let's get a new thread going on your [glow=red]entrance and exit strategies[/glow]. Let's have lots of little details about what has worked/is working for you. How do you determine your entrance/exit routes when hunting a new property? etc...


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Re: Entrance/Exit Tips and Tricks

Unread postby Dor » Thu Aug 16, 2012 5:59 am

I killed my biggest MN buck as a result of being picked up at the stand with a truck when I saw him the night before and couldn't escape unnoticed. We use vehicle pick up with good results often. I have used ropes to climb steep stuff as well.

Of course, the most common ones are ravines and water entry.
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Re: Entrance/Exit Tips and Tricks

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Thu Aug 16, 2012 7:26 am

Great topic - Should be a good learning tool!
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Re: Entrance/Exit Tips and Tricks

Unread postby NatureBoy » Thu Aug 16, 2012 7:30 am

Dor wrote:I killed my biggest MN buck as a result of being picked up at the stand with a truck when I saw him the night before and couldn't escape unnoticed. We use vehicle pick up with good results often.

I finally have someone to hunt with who may be able to help me out with this one. Looking forward to giving it a try!
How about some of you other guys? Some of you have mentioned being careful about not making contact with vegetation on the way in. How do you do this? What about speed? Do you typically go in fast or slow? What tricks have worked for you in various circumstances?

Early/Late Season Entrance:

For my early AM entrance, I like to carry a high power flashlight if I need to cross a field where the deer might be. I do a quick scan shine of the field to see if anything is there, then proceed accordingly. I dress as lightly as I can stand (one layer usually) to avoid getting sweated up and get set up and in stand as quickly as possible, not worrying too much about a little noise. I try to avoid crossing deer trails, and will jump across them if I have to cross one. I always wear light gloves to reduce scent if I do accidentally touch something I shouldn't. I try to be settled in stand no later than 1 hour before first light.

For my PM hunts, I go in as slowly and quietly as I can. I take off my boots and walk in my socks the last 100 yards if I have to. I approach down wind of bedding and pay attention to what the wind is doing along the way. I sometime will grunt softly if I feel I've made too much noise when I'm at my tree, but still on the ground. Then I get set up as quickly/quietly as possible and keep movement to a minimum.
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Re: Entrance/Exit Tips and Tricks

Unread postby PLB » Thu Aug 16, 2012 7:47 am

I check the wind at the truck and constantly on the way in. I always look at what I may be stepping on to avoid making noise. I basically stalk all the way in morning and evening. I scan ahead a lot in the evening, especially near or in feeding areas to make sure I don't blow feeding deer out. A lot of times early season with no pressure the young deer will be gobbling up acorns early!! In the evenings walking out I don't care if I make noise because that bridge is burned. Only exception being rut time if I plan on sneaking back the next morning. Go slow and give yourself plenty of time., Don't be in a rush. That's when you are apt to make noise.

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Re: Entrance/Exit Tips and Tricks

Unread postby JV NC » Thu Aug 16, 2012 8:24 am

I just approach from downwind and vary my entrances. I try to vary my exits, if it's possible.
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Re: Entrance/Exit Tips and Tricks

Unread postby mibowhunter » Thu Aug 16, 2012 8:30 am

This is a great topic... I do a lot of what others have said regarding wind direction, reducing noise, etc... but here are a few more things I take advantage of.

One of my setups has me walking a set of RR tracks and then dropping down in to the stand which is only about 20 yards off the tracks. Dead silent approach. I use creeks quite often and wade through them to get to stands and most of the time the stand is only feet away from the creeks. I also started cleaning walking lanes in woods to my stands (on private land) in the spring. I will cut all weeds/brush and then take a garden rake and have only a bare ground path when I'm done. The weeds may come back a bit during the summer but most of the time they are very minimal. A few leaves will fall on it too, however I've found that even with those few leaves it is MUCH quieter than if I didn't make a path at all. Deer do pick up on the trails sometimes and will take them over, but I've had them walk in on the trails just minutes after I've used them and they didn't notice a thing - just make sure your boots are clean!

Another trick I've done during the rut is actually running the last little bit to my stand, grunting softly. Some guys might think it's crazy, but no joke I've had it before where I wasn't even settled in to my stand and had deer come in to investigate. Dont' run too far to make sure you don't work up a sweat, and be careful running with arrows - I knew my path well and didn't worry about tripping... But it's worked a few times for me.
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Re: Entrance/Exit Tips and Tricks

Unread postby dan » Thu Aug 16, 2012 10:19 am

Using obstacles to approach is a great tactic. You either shoot over a creek, or deadfall, or man made obstacle so the deer never cut your track.
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Re: Entrance/Exit Tips and Tricks

Unread postby Crazinamatese » Thu Aug 16, 2012 11:14 am

Using the wind is probably MOST important. I have certain areas for certain wind directions. Many times, the wind will conceal the sound of my footfalls and blow my scent away from the direction I expect deer to travel from. If there is no wind, or even a slight breeze, throw in a turkey call and yelp on it a few times as you make your way into to your stand. I rarely walk to the stand in the dark. I like a little bit of light so i can see where Im walking and what is ahead of me..
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Re: Entrance/Exit Tips and Tricks

Unread postby Bucky » Thu Aug 16, 2012 2:11 pm

I have totally killed marsh grass and the mowed it... So it is essentially a dirt trail. I'm way convinced that walking in on bare dirt helps... I also often access through corn fields and exit through corn fields. I really don't care if they smell me there...

A lot of Joes sets at Tall Tines are focused on entry and exit as well. The crop fields there are on top in the locations that Spy and I were hunting... Most stand sites were on draws coming out of the timber up to the ag fields. He had mowed Paths as well... With brush trimmed so a hunter would have no contact with vegitation.

If you watch Drury videos... Especially in spots that Mark and Terry hunt, they are typically clean access spots, some are switch grass with a mowed trail

If you watch MidWest Whitetail Bill Winke uses ditches, corn, water, or some type of plot screen = sorghum/CRP to access and he even states that he hunts the same spots multiple times and waits for the bucks living on his property to make a mistake.

I get that most of us don't have manicured big buck spots to hunt BUT access is super important if you want to continue to hunt the same property multiple sits. It is also super important if you are trying to kill a 4-5yr old plus buck no matter how good of property u are on.

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Re: Entrance/Exit Tips and Tricks

Unread postby NatureBoy » Fri Aug 17, 2012 12:58 am

Great tips! Keep 'em coming!
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Re: Entrance/Exit Tips and Tricks

Unread postby U.P. MAN » Fri Aug 17, 2012 1:14 am

One stand we hunt for a evening sit takes about 20 min to walk into.after the hunt you have to take t,he back way out. About three quarter mile, dark,hilly and brushy about a hour. No other way to avoid blowing out deer. The only tip/tactic here is doing whatever needed to not spook deer. The most important one.

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Re: Entrance/Exit Tips and Tricks

Unread postby headgear » Fri Aug 17, 2012 1:56 am

Many of my setups either require water access (canoe) or making large loops so I can access my setup from a preferred direction that usually depends on the wind.

Unless I see a buck and pan to hunt the there the next evening I don't care where my exit routes are. Chances are I won't be back in that spot for a month or until the next season. I have even walked through bedding areas and did a little scouting on my exit routes before. Sure I totally mess up the area but sometimes I find semi fresh sign so I know I was in the right spot but maybe didn't have the best of timing. I also wonder if maybe a buck busted me on the way in and holds tight, so if I kick him up I have an idea that maybe he busted me on my entrance route. I don't do this a lot but I just thought I would share.
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Re: Entrance/Exit Tips and Tricks

Unread postby NatureBoy » Fri Aug 17, 2012 2:57 am

U.P. MAN wrote:One stand we hunt for a evening sit takes about 20 min to walk into.after the hunt you have to take t,he back way out. About three quarter mile, dark,hilly and brushy about a hour. No other way to avoid blowing out deer. The only tip/tactic here is doing whatever needed to not spook deer. The most important one.

Great point. And that can be REALLY hard to do sometimes, when you're tired and just want to get home, or don't know the area real well. On one of my evening hunts, the deer came out and filtered past and around my stand right at dark. It wasn't until a good 1/2 hour after dark that they finally moved away. By the time I had packed up and was ready to get out, it was pitch black, no moon. I had to take the long way back so as not to spook them and ended up getting turned around in the woods, without a GPS or even a compass. Man was I ever relieved to finally find the way out. Since then I always bring a compass and reflective ties to mark my exit route if I know I'm gonna have to take a walk through woods/swamp that I'm not familiar with in the dark.
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Re: Entrance/Exit Tips and Tricks

Unread postby NatureBoy » Fri Aug 17, 2012 5:37 am

headgear wrote:Many of my setups either require water access (canoe) or making large loops so I can access my setup from a preferred direction that usually depends on the wind.

I really like this one too. Several HB member use this effectively to hunt a spot more than once and/or to avoid crossing deer trails. I know Stanley and Spy are real experts at this tactic. Not always a fool-proof method though. Sometimes the beavers in my area will slap their tails on the water so much on the way in that it alerts every animal to your presence :twisted: .

Great tactics mentioned so far. Keep 'em coming guys!
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