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.

 

[bigboreblr]

In open areas, just like frogs, make little spots of cover. They hop from one to another like a frog hops on lilly pads.

From cover to a feeding area, make a little waiting room. About the size of a car parking spot and big enough for a mower to squeeze in and maintain.

 

[SD51555]

Some days I spend way too much time making a section of deer trail just perfect, and then other days I follow one and just scratch my head trying to figure out how they got thru there and why they picked that path.

I’m still puzzled by all of it.


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[Stubborn1VT]

In an open area, I agree with Bigbore. I think of deer like bass or crappies. They're going to hang near structure. Easiest solution IMO is a well spaced line of cedars. Of course, I can't see your situation, so I'm guessing.

 

[Turkey Creek]

Some days I spend way too much time making a section of deer trail just perfect, and then other days I follow one and just scratch my head trying to figure out how they got thru there and why they picked that path.

I’m still puzzled by all of it.


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I have one of those spots! This year I watched a group of does and fawns go through a deep ditch full of obstacles when they could have walked another 20 yards and went on a drive lane through an open gate, which I have countless deer on camera doing. I went and looked and there was a visible trail there from previous deer. Why they sometimes take the hard route instead of the easy one I have no answer for.

 

[Turkey Creek]

In an open area, I agree with Bigbore. I think of deer like bass or crappies. They're going to hang near structure. Easiest solution IMO is a well spaced line of cedars. Of course, I can't see your situation, so I'm guessing.

I have some old cedar fence rows that I have left intact for that purpose as well as screening for when I walk to stands. Unfortunately the spots I would like to affect movement on now would take 10 years or more to build a living fence.

 

[Mtyhunter]

like several of you said, I've tried to influence movement with downed trees/brush, and them watched them go right thru it anyway. Pretty much have given up on doing this.
we mow (been using a walmart murray cheap ass mower now for about 5 years) narrow trails for our main stands, and mow some trails in shooting lanes. We generally don't use feeders at all, just haul in a 50lb bag over the shoulder and sprinkle on the trails and shooting lanes, and that's where most of the cameras are staged.
these trails work perfectly for the does and smaller bucks, but the big ones only get stupid when the ruts on.

 

[PatinPA]

Some days I spend way too much time making a section of deer trail just perfect, and then other days I follow one and just scratch my head trying to figure out how they got thru there and why they picked that path.

I’m still puzzled by all of it.


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I have a stand along a creek that makes a 90 degree turn and the creek bank is nearly vertical. Every winter when there's snow I see where one walked along the creek and straight up that bank instead along the old woods road that bends around it. (Where my stand overlooks)

 

[Telemark]

I have some old cedar fence rows that I have left intact for that purpose as well as screening for when I walk to stands. Unfortunately the spots I would like to affect movement on now would take 10 years or more to build a living fence.

You might be able to do it faster with willows or beech, depending on the amount of light the area gets.

 

[matinc]

In the woods using a backpack blower and making a trail in the leaves is all you need to do. If it in ferns just weed wack them down and it works great. Only needs to be 18 inches wide.

 

[Catscratch]

I hunt a lot of open areas. When you look at the hills and creek bottoms you might think they'll follow the cover, but as often as not they are using a hillside and not even close to cover. And, predicting where they'll be on the hillside is damn near impossible. Sometimes top, middle, bottom, in-between those, or the other side of the hill. Not much will make them predictable, even food plots don't seem to squeeze them where you want them.

 

[Mtyhunter]

hunt the same terrain Cat, and it's exactly like you described where i hunt. Prairie deer
Mostly, the only cover is in the bottoms, yet you'll find these deer like you said, top of the bald hills to the bases. Every little depression, cut, draw on hillsides mean something to them, and they're experts at using them to stay out of sight. Nothing mowed, no trails, and almost impossible to predict their movement. Bust them, and it's over, they don't come back soon. Lol, some will say "you never know, deer like to circle back around" which is true in the woods, but on the prarie, when you bust them and watch them run 3/4 mile over the next rise...they're not coming back there anytime soon.
I don't believe it's possible to steer a prairie unless it's with food or snatch