clearing trails to stand location?

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matt1336
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Re: clearing trails to stand location?

Unread postby matt1336 » Tue Apr 07, 2015 5:26 am

When there is snow, I like to drive a truck or 4 wheeler past my stand. Deer follow those tire tracks whenever they can in snow more than five or so inches deep

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Re: clearing trails to stand location?

Unread postby Florida » Tue Apr 07, 2015 9:00 am

Grant Woods is a big fan of this. It makes sense if you are going to sit a spot multiple times and you have sole access. Not so much if your only time in there is in the spring.
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Re: clearing trails to stand location?

Unread postby MOBIGBUCKS » Tue Apr 07, 2015 9:15 am

I'm not a fan of it. Everything I hunt is hunted by others and tipping them off is the last thing I want to do.
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Re: clearing trails to stand location?

Unread postby Bowhunter4life » Tue Apr 07, 2015 2:00 pm

MOBIGBUCKS wrote:I'm not a fan of it. Everything I hunt is hunted by others and tipping them off is the last thing I want to do.

I'm with you here man, I feel like if I were to do that on the public it would draw attention to my location

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Re: clearing trails to stand location?

Unread postby DaHunter » Tue Apr 07, 2015 2:10 pm

For those of you not clearing trails, how do you find your spots in the dark, if you're hunting thick areas?

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Re: clearing trails to stand location?

Unread postby kurt » Tue Apr 07, 2015 2:16 pm

It's not practical or smart to clear trails on public. Their are certain places for it on private but if you catch your doing to much it's hurting you. Learn how to walk quietly in any condition(calm days after leaves fall the worse imo) and it will help you

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Re: clearing trails to stand location?

Unread postby remmag » Tue Apr 07, 2015 2:36 pm

GPS would be best if you have one. I use a compass and major landmarks to get to my spot.(example-creeks,waterholes,large oak tree,rubs,etc. Etc.) Most of the parcels I hunt have a human trail that I use to a certain point until I branch off of it, then I break out the compass and head directly towards my tree while keeping an eye out for the terrain features and landmarks knowing that I'm still on my trail. Hills can work good as landmarks in some cases but where I hunt its all hills so if I went in relying on that solely it would prolly end in me getting turned around

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Re: clearing trails to stand location?

Unread postby Rutnstrut » Tue Apr 07, 2015 3:12 pm

In some of my trickier stand locations that are very close to bedding, I will clear a trail the last 30 to 50 yards. This is on my private land that only I hunt. I would never do this in my public spots.
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Re: clearing trails to stand location?

Unread postby dan » Tue Apr 07, 2015 9:11 pm

DaHunter wrote:For those of you not clearing trails, how do you find your spots in the dark, if you're hunting thick areas?

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Almost all of my hunting is done on transition lines or near them... PRETTY EASY TO FIND OR FOLLOW EDGE.

As far as clearing trails goes, if you need to make a cleared trail to your stand position, in my opinion your probably over hunting that spot.
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Re: clearing trails to stand location?

Unread postby MOBIGBUCKS » Wed Apr 08, 2015 5:28 am

I use gps. No flagging, no tacks.

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Re: clearing trails to stand location?

Unread postby KLEMZ » Wed Apr 08, 2015 1:17 pm

I also use GPS with no tacks or ribbons etc.. I do, however, lightly trim "seams" through some of the jungle like segments of vegetation, so I can navigate without having the clothes ripped off my back. It just makes for a more enjoyable hunting experience. I love the 18" bypass loppers by Fiskars (recommended by Stanely). It allows me to cleanly cut off any sapling up to 1.5" diameter flush with the ground so there is no evidence!!

I do NOT blaze a trail all the way to my stand. However, I do have "interstate highways" into general areas, and then will use maximum stealth to branch off to my hunting spots.
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Re: clearing trails to stand location?

Unread postby Dewey » Thu Apr 09, 2015 3:31 am

Leave no trace...........unless you want company on public land.

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Re: clearing trails to stand location?

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Fri Apr 10, 2015 3:11 am

You know, I've left a lot unsaid here... it obviously isn't a good idea to blaze an Interstate trail back to your stand. But true swamp hunters have trails they've used for decades that cannot be followed by others. If you try to follow me, even with snow on the ground, I hope you like getting lost, spending the night in the swamp and swimming in icewater that's over your head. Many of the places I hunt I have to hit my mark going in and out... it's the only way there is. GPS may keep you close, but plan on taking a dive or two. There aren't any "distant radio tower lights" or "farm house lights" to key on, you'd better know how to navigate. When I come out, and I may be miles back in, I often can't see 20 feet in front of me and it's completely black. Maybe there's a 3 foot hole if you look straight up into the conifers and you can see a single star... maybe.

Also, lots of guys clear "the final approach" to the stand in the offseason to try and be quiet without tipping a bedded buck off.

Lots of guys are posting that their hunting spots are crawling with hunters and believe me I get it and live it...

But ask yourself this- "Am I truly hunting a spot that is so nasty thick, remote, or completely overlooked that I am very close to having my spot completely to myself?" These areas exist in the most heavily hunted areas there are... if you haven't found any its time to get to work. 8-)
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Re: clearing trails to stand location?

Unread postby Stanley » Fri Apr 10, 2015 3:52 am

I think a lot was said about getting to the stand. I think SB brought up about getting back out. If you are in the big woods a couple of miles in and hunt until dark. Getting back out is a problem with out GPS or at minimum a compass. This would be where trails pay their way. On a dark cloudy day with an over head canopy you can't walk a straight line in the pitch dark. You may think you can, but it can't be done. Any tree or dead fall throws you off course.

There is dark and then there is dead dark. I'm sure some have tried to navigate in the dead dark. Not only is it hard but you make so much noise stumbling around in the dead dark. I'm not going to stumble around in the dead dark like have in the past. Years ago there were no GPS so a compass was the tool of choice. The older I got the more I realized trails were not all that bad. When possible I use trails I think it helps my hunting, it helps my stealth I do know that.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: clearing trails to stand location?

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Fri Apr 10, 2015 8:16 am

Stanley wrote:I think a lot was said about getting to the stand. I think SB brought up about getting back out. If you are in the big woods a couple of miles in and hunt until dark. Getting back out is a problem with out GPS or at minimum a compass. This would be where trails pay their way. On a dark cloudy day with an over head canopy you can't walk a straight line in the pitch dark. You may think you can, but it can't be done. Any tree or dead fall throws you off course.

There is dark and then there is dead dark. I'm sure some have tried to navigate in the dead dark. Not only is it hard but you make so much noise stumbling around in the dead dark. I'm not going to stumble around in the dead dark like have in the past. Years ago there were no GPS so a compass was the tool of choice. The older I got the more I realized trails were not all that bad. When possible I use trails I think it helps my hunting, it helps my stealth I do know that.


Excellent points Stanley, it is important to realize that not all hunting areas are created equal. Sometimes we give advice based on where we like to hunt and it is totally irrelevant to the situation that other Beasts find themselves in.

There's a reason that no one hunts where I do and I make it that way on purpose. Sometimes I think that true Northern swamp hunters are a dying breed, I really do not see or hear much from them anywhere... they are out there, but not many.


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