Entry and exit strategies

[NWWI]

How does everyone go about entering and exiting their small acreage properties? I've read all about perimeter trails, screening cover and having a four wheeler drive in and get a guy. I know all of that works but when we are talking about 40 and 80 acre parcels and hunting them by your self the second you hit the ground every deer in the woods has a good idea something isn't right. I'm also hunting a fairly high pressure area so that doesn't help. I just wanted to hear others input on what they do.

 

[Big Snow Man]

We walk the perimeter of the property so not to spook deer to our neighbors. Most consultants that you read about kind of use this theory.

 

[bueller]

My place has perimeter trails. My Pop's place does not. Both parcels are under 50 acres. I HIGHLY recommend the perimeter trails. Cut them a couple times throughout the year and they are SILENT to walk on. Place your stands near these trails and sneaking in and out becomes very easy. It's almost impossible to sneak into the stands on my Pop's place.

 

[bueller]

One more thing. Learn how the deer use your property. For example one of the parcels I mentioned has north to south movement in the early morning (deer are returning from farm fields to the north). When I hunt mornings there I use the southern perimeter trail to get to my stands in an effort to lessen the chance of encountering deer on my way in. If I leave my stand midday I then use the northern perimeter trail as the deer have likely already crossed this trail but may now be bedded or moving near the southern trail.

 

[Fall guy]

Like a lot of things it depends on a individual property. I own one (53 acres) with the majority flatter ground on top with a major river on bottom of ridge, the other property (80 acres) has 3 major ridges with 300 ft. elevations to include multiple points, saddles and etc. The flatter of two is much easier to use borders which I prefer if possible and wind usually predictable except near river. The one with bluffs only time on stand and experience entering and exiting with property will tell. You can have north wind and it may be heading south on way to stand location and then half way to stand is maybe going west. Then throw in thermos and gets even more interesting. I never enter or exit this property until I can just start to see unless a close in stand. Most are a half mile in . Then just do slow walk pause on way to stand and do best I can on scent control. Very common to have multiple entry and exit trails to same stand area. Once trails cut in they sure seem like magnet for youngsters to start using. :)

 

[tooln]

The wind is your friend, use it.

 

[NWWI]

I rarely have scent problems it's more of a noise issue. The deer in my area feel more secure on one half of the property versus the other due to human pressure from neighbors. They bed on the quiet half and travel towards ag fields with more human presence. I can get in and out in the daylight no problem but before and after shooting hours I have issues. If I go in an hour before light they are there. I can wait out the deer I can see at night, get down and spook others I can't see.
Those of you that say perimeter trials, do you have those perimeter areas to your self to hunt or do your neighbors do the same thing?

 

[j-bird]

I have used everything from mowers to weed eaters to leaf blowers and rakes to remove stuff from paths to quiet things down. I also don't use any sort of vehicle either - we walk to every stand. Now the down side is that as soon as I do - I find a deer track in it! I don't have perimeter trails and that hurts some - I also like to use creek beds as much as possible. I have to cross open fields to reach all of my stands so I tend to wait until light to keep from spooking deer in the am when I can see them. I don't get stupid with the use of lights either. I have a buddy that uses a scuba type light and I swear it will burn a hole in your sole it's that bright. I use a small green LED light on my cap and that is it. I also think the deer know when my buddy is hunting because of that rattle-box of a diesel he drives. I also tend to cover open ground quickly and then really slow down - almost like your still hunting once I get within 100 yards or so of a stand.

Not sure if any of it actually works, but I have tried lots of things to keep from spooking or bumping into deer in the dark.

 

[bueller]

I rarely have scent problems it's more of a noise issue. The deer in my area feel more secure on one half of the property versus the other due to human pressure from neighbors. They bed on the quiet half and travel towards ag fields with more human presence. I can get in and out in the daylight no problem but before and after shooting hours I have issues. If I go in an hour before light they are there. I can wait out the deer I can see at night, get down and spook others I can't see.
Those of you that say perimeter trials, do you have those perimeter areas to your self to hunt or do your neighbors do the same thing?

My trails aren't right on the property lines and my lines have a single strand fence so no issues with neighbors using them.

 

[Big Snow Man]

I rarely have scent problems it's more of a noise issue. The deer in my area feel more secure on one half of the property versus the other due to human pressure from neighbors. They bed on the quiet half and travel towards ag fields with more human presence. I can get in and out in the daylight no problem but before and after shooting hours I have issues. If I go in an hour before light they are there. I can wait out the deer I can see at night, get down and spook others I can't see.
Those of you that say perimeter trials, do you have those perimeter areas to your self to hunt or do your neighbors do the same thing?

I have neighbors on three sides of my property. My neighbors plow right thru the middle of their property and the deer jump over to my property.

 

[Bill]

This is an area I have to get better at. Most of my stands are with in 50 yards of a field so no big deal sneaking in.

I do have some deeper stands now for rut hunting. Like J-bird I often wait til first light to cross a field so I'm not bumping them. I actually got in a stand with a small buck in the field this year. I moved when he fed. Never busted me.

I think next year I'm going the leaf blower route for the deep stands and a perimeter trail.

 

[shawnv]

Every property, even small ones are different so there is not one answer. I have a small farm but it's on a ridge and I have a saddle that is not planted nor has big timber around it that I use that as access in a lot but also have have high access out if needed. It's challenging because I want more food and cover on my property but creating this makes access in or stands I can hunt less but then sometimes less is more. On a small property you can make it very difficult having deer in every corner of it. On a 40 I would rather have 1-2 great stands I can get in and out of than 3, 4 or 5 that are "ok" and I'm busting deer.

Having "Junk" woods is key in many instances. Using the wind right and having quiet access (rake a trail) you'd be surprised how close to can get to deer without them knowing it. If you are worried about stands just off the food plot then maybe you need to focus on afternoon hunts there so at least when you exit, you know they are not right at your stand like they could be on the way out in the morning.

 

[NWWI]

Thanks for your input everyone. I agree, every property is different. I'm starting to rethink my morning stand hunting strategies. Morning hunting is difficult because you can have deer at every level of habitat, from the open fields, to staging areas, to bedding cover. I myself get nervous taking the time to clear trails just because I don't want to spend too much time in the woods. But if the rewards outweigh the rewards it may be worth it. I have neighbors that cut firewood, ride ATVs and sight in their rifles during hunting season and still get deer.

 

[Catscratch]

I've stopped hunting locations that I can't sneak into or control winds (this has me on the edges and out of the forest). I stopped going in during dark so that I can glass to see if I'm going to bump deer. I always hunt the wind so that there is almost no possibility of deer getting downwind of me. This has actually kept me at home more than I use to hunt but I see more deer this way.