Intrusion vs clean trails?

Clean your trails after leaves fall, or stay out?

  • Clean it

    Votes: 7 43.8%

  • Stay out

    Votes: 9 56.3%
  • Total voters
    16
letemgrow said:
Sounds like an easy choice then on your part.
Click to expand...


It sure is. That's why I would caution SD getting opinions from guys in Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, South Dakota, SE MN, Missouri, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Virginia, etc.....
 
I used my excavator which the deer for some reason do not worry about in the least. Pretty sure if I parked my tractor out there I would have dee coming to see what's going on. Doesn't make a lot of sense to me but that's just the way the deer are by me. I take my dogs out in the food plot closest to my house every afternoon to let them get some exercise and try to give them an hour minimum. After I'm back at the house and the dogs are in their kennel the deer show up shortly after. Last year when I still had my lab that lost his eyesight we could go out with deer in the plot and they very seldom would spook and leave until we were done walking around. Strange yes. Had a deer watch me go by in the excavator at my whopping 2.6 miles per hour at it started following me for about 1/4 mile. Sure wish I could have someone ride shotgun with me during season. To Bucks point though, none of these "tame" deer are monster bucks at all.
 
This past Tuesday evening I flung an arrow, and missed my target buck, it was just before dark. He was on a doe, and didnt care the arrow sailed an inch over his back (my fault, I am blind, and the scope on my crossbow, I had misjudged the 30 yard line with the 50 yard line.) Anyhow, the doe took off about 20 yards out of my food plot, the buck followed, then the doe, and the buck decide to walk under my stand, and stay there for 5-10 minutes, at this point it is dark, they didnt leave, and more deer came in. I took my quiver and smacked it on the tree several times, they just looked around. I texted my wife to activate the alarm on my truck, since I was hunting about 75 yards from my house, the deer didnt care, none of them! I turned on spotify and cranked it from my cell phone, they would look around, but that was about it. I asked my wife if she would grab the spotlight and walk out to me, making a lot of noise, so she did, the deer never moved until she was in my 3/4 acre food plot. The deer get use to noise, even un natural noises. As long as they dont feel threatened.

I have walked to my stand many times, and rode wheelers through my food plot, most deer just watch me. I live in wolf country, and hunt here, I can be watching deer in my food plot, then hear wolves howling 50 yards away, they wont even lift their heads. Strange animals.
 
I had one year the dirty buggers kept smelling me and spooking.when I was in my stands.

So I started planting trees with my ford tractor. Put the crossbow in the bucket.

They walked by laid down. I put the sneak on them……….filled my tag.
 
I will agree that the big boys don't get big and old by accident. They don't tolerate anything different in their home range at all. Young deer are not that hard to put a tag on but the older and much wiser bucks are a whole different animal to try and hunt. I rely on the rut to get those monsters moving and try to catch them with their guard down if I'm lucky enough to see one following a doe within shooting distance which isn't very often. Only going in the woods to hunt would be my best chance to bag a big one for sure.
 
We rake one trail that is only tbru the windbreak at our house. I mow other access trails in august.

One trail is mostly conifers so it is quiet.

Two suggestions.
1. Check the forecast and go in later when the wind is blowing,2. Take a long stick and slowly work your way in. One or two steps. Stand perfectly still and dig in the leaves like a squirrel. Stand still. Then repeat. I killed my heaviest buck this way.

Some have tried running to the stand if it is the rut. I would run, stop, and one grunt. Then run again.
 
I saw the largest buck I have ever seen last night, it was like Baker quality deer right here in Northern Wisconsin. Unfortunately I was driving home from the bar after voting, and going out to eat. I could have gotten him with my truck.
 
4wanderingeyes said:
I saw the largest buck I have ever seen last night, it was like Baker quality deer right here in Northern Wisconsin. Unfortunately I was driving home from the bar after voting, and going out to eat. I could have gotten him with my truck.
Click to expand...
Wish I could vote at the bar. That would bring out record number of voters if that was the case. lol
 
jsasker007 said:
Wish I could vote at the bar. That would bring out record number of voters if that was the case. lol
Click to expand...
Well, the voting was at a church, but we went to the bar to eat and have a couple after we voted, on our way home we saw the deer.
 
sandbur said:
We rake one trail that is only tbru the windbreak at our house. I mow other access trails in august.

One trail is mostly conifers so it is quiet.

Two suggestions.
1. Check the forecast and go in later when the wind is blowing,2. Take a long stick and slowly work your way in. One or two steps. Stand perfectly still and dig in the leaves like a squirrel. Stand still. Then repeat. I killed my heaviest buck this way.

Some have tried running to the stand if it is the rut. I would run, stop, and one grunt. Then run again.
Click to expand...
Do you have video of this by chance?
 
SD. When I get up north next Tuesday the first thing I am going to do is rent a leaf blower and blow my fields my roads and all trails. Do not let anyone tell you it does not makes a difference. 20 minutes after your done it makes no difference the deer don't remember. But if you think they can't hear you walking in over crunchy leaves is a better idea think again. Again park absolutely as close to where you hunt as you can. The shorter the distance is way less disturbance then walking further. Plus the smell of the fresh dirt is a huge draw and it also gives the lazy deer an easy way to walk about and yes they use and follow it.
 
SD the other part of the equation is ticks. By clearing your trails roads and fields now the chance of getting ticks in the fall is way lower. Come next year you won't have to do it and you can walk your ground way more secure. This is a huge priority for me each fall
 
matinc said:
SD the other part of the equation is ticks. By clearing your trails roads and fields now the chance of getting ticks in the fall is way lower. Come next year you won't have to do it and you can walk your ground way more secure. This is a huge priority for me each fall
Click to expand...
Preach it brother. I keep my trails immaculately clean for tick prevention purposes. You get off trail in my country, and you'll be covered in ticks from head to toe. I pick up sticks and trim hanging branches every time I go down my trails. I never let that work accumulate.
 
I remember gene weasel writing about making trails in the snow so the deer would follow.

I have had great luck mowing my trails so I and them can walk easier.

But I admit I’m after table fare not accolades from the trophy clubs.
 
SD spot on brother. One of my favorite tools is a picker upper. I can clear sticks and branches without even touching them. I stay out of any area without a clean trail or I have ticks from head to toe. I really have a hard time believing your poll more do not clean their trails and would risk getting ticks but to each tick their own.
 
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