Steering deer?

[Turkey Creek]

What has everyone tried for altering deer movement? I am an archery hunter by choice and with the youngsters I like to keep the firearm shots in the 50-100 yard range. I have a couple of spots that deer routinely wander in and out of enough that being in the ideal spot is a roll of the dice. Short of a fence to steer them to the more desired location I am just curious as to what approaches you have tried and if they were successful. One spot I currently have an issue with I am clearing the junk trees and will use a skid steer when I am done to pile them in a long windrow. My hope is that the deer will prefer to stay in the treed area as they travel.

 

[Prairie Acres]

I've used a trimmer/brushcutter to cut a narrow trail through very thick brush and past my stand. Deer used the new trail regularly. I had plenty of shot opportunities on smaller bucks and doe.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

I try to manage the natural landscape as much as possible always keeping in mind that deer like to flow like water through it. To facilitate this "flow" I cut very narrow trails to encourage deer movement where I'd like them to move. I will also drop massive spruce and fir trees to discourage movement in directions I don't want them moving. You might have seen my thread where I tagged out this year back in November. Those 2 bucks followed the exact same path (that I keep trimmed down) to my plot and stand...were prevented from getting behind me by 2 huge spruce trees I dropped years ago blocking their path...and then offered broadside shots at 15 yards as they walked through a pinch point in an hourglass shaped kill plot. I largely engineered that ambush with some elbow grease. Isn't one of Sturgis's books called Success by Design or something like that? Perfect example.

 

[Turkey Creek]

One of my issues is a large open area that has a NWSG patch next to a food plot. They generally come out into the food plot from the West through the NWSG anywhere over a 200 yard stretch. Maybe keeping a trail mowed through it this year after I burn will train them to take the path of least resistance.

 

[goatman]

Miscanthus,rowed cut brush,even used trail cameras on fence posts for camera shy old bucks.Also cleared trails in the brush.

 

[Catscratch]

I've piled brush with a skid steer. Works on the average deer, the pain in the ass deer will go right through it and get downwind of ya.

I've had good luck with encouraging paths rather than forcing paths. Ie- open a gate, tie the top wire down on the fence, leave a gap in the middle of a row of roundbales, etc.