Mobile Hunting + Shooting Lanes = Problem

[JoeRE]

Yea its a challenge we probably all have struggled with but the good news is as you gain experience you will probably find you need to trim less and less to be effective.

Vary your stand height to fit the situation, even hunt on the ground as necessary. Practice shooting through small openings and when picking trees while scouting you absolutely should climb them like has been said - and trim at the same time too.

Remember you have complete surprise on your side - what mobile hunting is all about - so being a little more exposed (by maybe hunting lower) is such a big deal. The key is by the time the buck might spot you it will be too late for him.

[mheichelbech]

One issue I have found with trimming on the ground is you tend to leave more scent around. Had a buck bust me 10 foot from where I trimmed at...with gloves on.

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[hunter_mike]

I have made the mistake of missing an opportunity on a really good buck by climbing too high to be able to shoot under the surrounding foliage. If you aren't allowed to cut, you just gotta hunt lower, its not a perfect situation

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[PK_]

You have to be very confident of where the buck is going to walk. You have to really take your time to see the trees that offer shooting 'holes' to that trail or area that will allow you to stick him before he gets your wind. You can't be set on 'i have to hunt (x) feet high', or 'I need this much cover' or 'I have to setup over here because the wind is perfect for it', whatever… The most important thing is how are you going to get an arrow in that buck. Period. Those other factors are fine and dandy but not if they compromise the shot op. (Obviously the wind can't be wrong for the tree, but I would take a just off wind over a perfect wind in order to have the shot I need)

I have killed some of my best bucks on just god awful trees, and many at a platform height of <10' and little or no cover.

[Bigburner]

I had a hang up like this earlier in the season. I had hunted and area once on a particular wind and went back around pre-rut on a different wind and the tree I had set up in before didn't work. I had to get on the other side of a piont and when I set up nothing for shooting lanes. I actually had to get down and do some trimming. I had a lot of confidence in this setup. So All I had was one small hole in front of me. Sure enough a buck came out of the nearby bed to my left and there was no way I was sneaking an arow anywhere. Luckily it was a 3.5 yro 8 pointer I had no interest in shooting but if it was the deer I was after it would have more than stung. It was a spot that I had pretty wired but that small adjustment had to be done and the result couldn't have been avoided.

[headgear]

You have to be very confident of where the buck is going to walk.

This is really the key, yes they can surprise you and yes anything can happen at any time during the rut but mobile beast hunting you have a much better idea of the area you need to cover. Proper scouting and planning will give you that confidence to get it done lanes or no lanes.

[Thermals]

On public you could take some brown zip ties am pull limbs over and tie them to another to make a hole with out cutting the limb.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Wlog]

It gets easier with experience to pick your spots from the ground. As others have said, sometimes you just have to hunt lower. I look for a spot on the tree where there is at least something breaking up my outline when I hunt low. The thicker the cover, the lower you have to hunt. The other key is sitting still and staying alert so you see him before he sees you. If I see the buck coming before he's right on top of me, I can usually set my feet and be ready to shoot before they get close enough to pick me off.

Bottom line, you can make it work hunting low. My buck this year was shot from about 6 or 7 feet platform height.

[ Post made via iPhone ]