So I've read numerous articles/books on the topic, but with deer seasons approaching I thought this would be a good opportunity to share thoughts, theories and experiences.
A lot of my experiences are from my families fruit farm. In the fall, there's still leaves on the trees and therefore cover in moving to and from the actual stand area's, which are often times 100-200 yard wide long fingers that separate orchards due to swamp/creek bottoms or steep sidehills that aren't suitable for orchards. Many of my stands are only 50-80 yards off of an orchard and I like to rake the path from the stand to the edge of the orchard so that I have a quiet final approach. I know that the con to this is that some 'experts' say that the fewer times you're disturbing an area with your scent, the less chances of having a mature doe or buck avoiding the area. I also like to be on stand at least and hour before first light (not shooting light). It makes for a longer sit, but with food sources (apple drops all along the orchard) that are close to the stands, I like to get in and settled well before first light. This week would typically be the week I do my first raking/fixing of walking lanes and then I would do a touchup after leaves fall in later October. Anyone who's tried to walk into a hardwoods stand on a frosted, still morning knows that it's not much different than walking on an inch of cornflakes.
Now up at Shrewhaven lodge in the UP, I've used the same approach to raking a spot to my stands when in the oaks. The difference here is that often times I wait until first light to sneak in, looking for deer along the way. One of my favorite spots is at the top of a ridge and in about 50 yards. I've crested the ridge at first light only to see deer feeding on acorns under the oaks and had it not been form my raked path,they would have been long gone-and if it weren't for my first light entrance the same would have taken place because I would have spooked them in the dark. This ridge also has bedding areas intermingled with the oaks, thus I often sit for 5, 6 or 7 hours. The farm is more of a transition hunting area and I'm on fingers between the orchards and swampy bedding areas.
Roger Norris, who hunts at Shrewhaven with us is one of those real early into the stand guys, even in the oaks, and he's got a good track record of seeing some good bucks.
So there's some starter comments. Please add your thoughts and personal strategies as well. Deer season is fast approaching (at least for us Midwesterner's)
Good topic. I'm beginning to think that the vast majority of deer are spooked while trying to get in and out of the stand. I think a lot of us are pretty competent at picking good stand sites but often don't think about how to get in and out. I often hunt public land and have always thought my best chance for success is to get way out there to avoid the people. This is probably true but if you are walking through a mile of crunchy leaves on the way in your probably not gonna see much! I too have started to really think about this. I now really try to utilize dry washes, ditches, standing cornfields etc to get to the stand. I also have started raking out final approach routes. I learned this from Uncle Barry. Starting last season, if I have a stand that I must access by walking across a lot of dry leaves for a long ways then I now save that stand for really windy or wet days. I now try to completely avoid walking across an open field in the early mornings as much as possible. I believe that in the early season your going to have to be in a tree that is 100 yards away or less from where the deer are bedded. They just don't move very far in the early season. The more I think about this the more important stand access becomes.
I was brought up in a way that approaching a stand in a carefully chosen way is second nature..... just part of the process. ABSOLUTELY the hunt is very much made (or unmade) to a great extent in the approach. Wind direction is as much or more important in stand approach than while in the stand..you are giving your wind to a very long stretch of ground walking in compared to a single position while in the tree. Noise/line of sight is key. Residual scent - understanding the effect and location - while hunting and for a day or so afterwards is also huge.
Stand approach is specific to the situation, but a couple rules I pretty much live by...
1 DO NOT approach a stand in a way to compromise your wind
2 understand where deer may be, and what they can see - I'll give up noise to gain line of sight obstruction every time.... deer make noise, squirrels and other stuff make noise, but deer won't mistake seeing you.
3 never cross a deer trail within bow shot of the stand unless you are in a shooting lane
I rarely (almost never) enter a stand before shooting light. Every minute you spend in the tree unproductive ...like in the dark... is that much more scent stream and chance to get busted. You are way more likely to get busted stumbling around in the dark than sneaking in with some early daylight. I know Barry always says "Better an hour early than a minute late"....I figure better 15 minutes early than getting busted by the doe an hour ahead of time :)
I do try to get in between the pre-dawn doe/fawn movement and the 1-2 hour after daylight buck cruise thru.
R
I agree with Ryan on the entry time, and for those same reasons, especially the sneakability.
I also think, at least in your situation, this is a farm, and with it being fruit trees, there are people in and out at times. I think if you drive your truck right up to the field edge, mosey on out and then do your work, then leave, it won't matter at all.
At least, that's what I would do. I sometimes rake or weed eat a trail PAST my tree, so it doesn't lead right to it. Heck, I cut a similar trail thru 7' tall itchweed ( nettles ?) one late summer so I could get to my stand. Guess where I shot my deer !
ChuckC
Human scent in an area traveled by deer is not necessarily a show stopper. There are many many places that have heavy deer and human traffic as the natural order of things, so going into an area won't always spoil the hunting. Deer pattern us probably more effectively than we do them. If our scouting/stand maintenance suddenly changes the places and times of human activity, then I think the deer will take notice. I do try to limit my entry into the hunting area shortly before the season opener so that I don't totally stink up the place excessively. All the area around my place is heavily settled, so human contact is a daily experience for our deer. Even so, it is best to limit woods activity and to hunt the wind. They don't pay us much attention as long as we are not too close or noisy.
I am not much for hunting on my way to the stand especially during light hours. I like to get in early, get settled in and be patient. As far as the raking stuff I hunt a lot of public land and to be honest I do not want others to know where I am set up at. I will move obstacles for my entrance that may get in the way but I leave the leaves be as natural as I can.
I'm fortunate in that I can get to my most productive stand reasonably quietly, and with the wind in my favor.
Some of my approach is done on an old tractor trail that doesn't get much leaf fall, then I skirt the edge of a grassy clearing.
From there, things can get a little sketchy. I have to move through a bottom of about 100 yards through some head high goldenrod, through a stand of poplar, then uphill in a stand of beech to my brush blind.
I always cut a path through the goldenrod well before the season, and do my best to keep a path cleared of leaves/branches through the Poplar, and from there to my blind.
This blind in on the opposite side of a hill from some quality bedding, and I do my best to approach it quietly. I don't know if it helps, and laugh if you want, but I've gone as far as scratching in the leaves like a turkey, and clucking occasionally with a turkey call, as I make the final approach to my stand on really dry/noisey days.
Bob
Ryan, I noticed from a thread you posted last August about hanging stands that you seem to use a lot of low impact entry routes. I think I remember one in particular just off an old logging road. What do you do if you find a really good stand site while scouting that you know will be difficult to access like if you have to walk across a bunch of fallen leaves? Do you not hang a stand there? Rake out the leaves? Move on to something better? I'm really thinking a lot of us are fairly competent at choosing good stand sites but I think we blow it getting in and out. Really good thread.
I set up one stand this year that I can approach by canoe. A few feet into the woods and the stand is there. It would leave no scent and almost no sound. Not sure what I should do with the canoe though, if i bring it up on land or just tie it up. Been thinking if setting this up for a few years because I could get in there very quietly and without crossing any trails.
when forced to cross long distances of crunchy stuff-I like to drag a 8-10 ft stick in the leaves--it makes steady noise which covers the steady crunch -crunch-crunch --
---it works so well that I have walked right up on feeding turkeys
---if they smell you or see you--nothing will work-
Grey light for me. I hate busting deer out in the morning. I have a collapsible rake that has been worth it's weight in gold. I like a nice quiet approach and departure. You've got to be able to leave as well.
There is no way the raking thing would work on public lands here.
I do a combo. Sometimes early sometimes late. I have found I rarely spook anything during the witching hour. But I have spooked stuff in the dark many times.
Where I hunt. To access a stand from a specific direction most times isnt possible. And for me personally. We have very few big bucks on public land that it don't matter much to me anymore. i take what I can get usually.
The public land I hunt is so heavily hunted and used by the general public, such as joggers, dog walkers, mushroom hunters and horse back riders that human scent is everywhere. I still play the wind when selecting where I'll hunt a given day. In my opinion and my hunting strategy is to hunt the travel corridors. I get in sometimes 2 hours early and it works for me. I've killed more than one buck that was around me an hour before light and was still there at first light.
I think patience is key in arriving and departing stands. Last year I spooked a doe I could have had a shot at on my way in because I was rushing to get to my stand. Take it slow and remember, once you get out of the car/cabin you are hunting.
I hunt the big woods and there is just no practical way to cut a path that far through the woods without disturbing the area too much. One of my spots this year is 700 yards right up the mountain to a saddle. It has a nice drainage I can follow but its thick with laurel
we tend to forget that deer don't have watches or schedules. They're governed by routine- and circumstance, in addition to their stomachs.
I'm with Ryan and Jon on entry and routes- lowest possible impact, always without compromising hunting by giving scent stream to where I believe the majority of bucks will come from...and just after daylight seems to work better for me. For years I did the early thing, and sometimes it would work, especially if I was close to a bedding area...but I don't like hunting there unless it's an absolute necessity.
Always work the wind and never ever never ever hunt a stand when the wind is wrong or try to cheat the wind...you can't cheat the wind pilgrim.
As some follow-up to above, yes through summer and fall there is lot's of activity on the farm in the form of tractor and human traffic. It's interesting because I see the bacherlor groups of bucks in person and on trail camera away from the apple picking activity in October, but will still see does and fawns around the apples. Once late October/early November hit's then the bucks show up where the does are on the fringes of the main supply of apples. I have enough spots around the farm (these may be 200-300 yards apart) that I can hunt without being in the same spot more than once a week. There's also a night and day difference in visibility from early October and mid November. I can barely see 50-60 yards in the early season in one spot and then in November I can see 400 yards through the orchard, but then again so can the deer. On a couple of my stands, I've used cheap ladder stands to get up the tree and then use my Lone Wolf hang on just offset to actually sit in. This allows me to get in and out of the stand quicker and quieter.
Great thread
And there are those of us that do not hunt from stands, just still hunt. Move slow and quiet and try to spot the deer/elk before they are aware of your presence.
QuoteOriginally posted by newhouse114:
And there are those of us that do not hunt from stands, just still hunt. Move slow and quiet and try to spot the deer/elk before they are aware of your presence.
That was always my favorite way to hunt, and the most satisfying to me, but since my knees went south I'm not as good at it. I find myself tripping over things more often, and I'm not as steady on my feet. I hope when I get my knees done, that will change. We'll see.
Bob
used to get to my stand and hr before shooting light, now I go in right at 1st light and see just as many or more deer including mature bucks.
I can't add any better advise beyond what's been given. Great and timely thread.
That said there are two things that I do that may or may not help.
First is that I often wear my rubber hip boots to my stand. I hunt big woods of northern Wisconsin. I usually have such a long walk in that raking a trail isn't a possibility. I keep my hip boots solely for these walks and think that it helps with minimizing my scent left on vegetation on the approach.
Secondly there are few times I can get in real quiet once the ground freezes. I will often move in at first light and cluck softly on my slate turkey call in an attempt to give a "reason" for all the commotion!
QuoteOriginally posted by NBK:
I can't add any better advise beyond what's been given. Great and timely thread.
That said there are two things that I do that may or may not help.
First is that I often wear my rubber hip boots to my stand. I hunt big woods of northern Wisconsin. I usually have such a long walk in that raking a trail isn't a possibility. I keep my hip boots solely for these walks and think that it helps with minimizing my scent left on vegetation on the approach.
Secondly there are few times I can get in real quiet once the ground freezes. I will often move in at first light and cluck softly on my slate turkey call in an attempt to give a "reason" for all the commotion!
Then I'm not the only clucker here, lol. I've had a few deer show up at my ground blinds soon enough after getting there, that I'm sure they had to have heard my approach, so I know the turkey act works at least some of the time. Turkeys too, and they're legal here in bow season.
Bob
QuoteOriginally posted by jonsimoneau:
Ryan, I noticed from a thread you posted last August about hanging stands that you seem to use a lot of low impact entry routes. I think I remember one in particular just off an old logging road. What do you do if you find a really good stand site while scouting that you know will be difficult to access like if you have to walk across a bunch of fallen leaves? Do you not hang a stand there? Rake out the leaves? Move on to something better? I'm really thinking a lot of us are fairly competent at choosing good stand sites but I think we blow it getting in and out. Really good thread.
Jon, I'll rake once in a while..first time I remember the Old Man showing me this was 1985 (geeze, 30 yrs ago). Not with a rake, though, but just with the side of the foot, one hole for each step, ends up looking like a bunch of 18 inch scrapes every couple feet. Frankly, tho, not very often, the problem with raking is maintenance...a couple weeks more falling leaves or a good wind and you gotta do it over. Mostly I avoid long stretches of open ground in big timber for approach, so leaf probs don't come up too often. I'm mostly in ditches/draws/drainage and stuff has a tendency to be wet and quiet in there. I would avoid cornflake leafy ridges, and hunt another stand on quiet, dry, frosty AM's. I normally have at least two stands on any major situation, so usually there's an alternative.
R
I have been known to pause and make noise like Turks scratching in the leaves too. Also, pay attention to the cadence of feeding and traveling squirrels, often if I have to cover a short noisy space I'll regulate my steps/pauses to sound like a squirrel. Mostly where I hunt in the fall there are squirrels moving all the time in the daylight.
You know, that's not even something that I thought about earlier, or consciously think about doing, it just happens. Thanks, Ray for starting the thread, makes one think.
R
This thread also has me thinking. Like some of you, I used to go in well before first light. However, with the tremendous increase in the bear population here in NJ, I've had to rethink that approach. Was turkey hunting a couple of years ago and had to answer the call of nature at just about first light. As I was progressing with the necessary steps involved with that call, I happened to notice this rather large, black blob lying against a tree not twenty yds. away. It was what I thought it was. Very unnerving but definitely aided in ending my "movement". Bears usually scatter when approached but I'm not taking any chances. Especially if I happen to encounter a sow with cubs. Getting in at first light hasn't diminished the number of deer I see from my stand as far as I can tell. Is there anything more disheartening than having a shooter come in but with too little light for a shot? Had that happen a couple of times.
I'll clarify my raking a little. As mentioned above there is lots of fall activity in the parts of the farm with apples. When I do my short path raking i drive right up to the orchard edge, leave the truck running with music going (T. Nugent's 'Fred Bear'of course :laughing: ). I'll make lot's of noise banging stuff at the truck. Rake quickly and get out. Preferably in rain and mid day. Up at camp in the big woods I take one of those little kid rakes with wooden handle . I cut handle so it's two feet long and carry in with my stand. Here I'm in stealth mode. Quiet in . Quiet stand set. Rake my way out. More like Ryan's scrape example instead of a path.
Lets keep this at the top. Great thread, Ray. Ryan, thanks so much for sharing your knowledge so feely.
Jake
Great thread!
I go in just as you can see without a flashlight for reasons Highlow said. If I'm with someone i'll go in when it's dark. Yes I'm scared of bears!
On one particular long public hunting land, there is a access drive for one leased field. No matter which way the wind is blowing the guys march in down that same field drive. They all want to hunt the same 200 yard tree covered slope near that field. when there is a west or southwest breeze the wind circulates the entire slope. If the deer were on the slopes to the south they can smell, hear and see that they have company. If the deer are in the slopes opposite and along the private land side to the north and east they hear and smell that they have company. I can count on it that the deer will not be anywhere near them and any deer that gets moving will move around and away from the other hunters. Luckily the state bought more land so now it will be easier to anticipate that, but now the easier access will come from the north and all of those that pay no attention to wind or sight will come form the north. It is very important to anticipate deer movements caused by others.
From one climbing tree stand location, I shot five deer in two years. Not from the the stand, but sneaking to and from it. On busy weekends, I could count that when all of the other hunters bailed out and headed for their vehicles, about 9 a.m., that the deer would be moving, but not to where I was sitting. So I moved to a funnel travel way that always had other stands occupied by hunters that bailed out first, but once those stands were vacated it was the prime area for deer sneaking away from other hunters. Most of the time the number of hunters in our small public hunting patches greatly out number the deer.
If I am forced to walk in with the wind at my back there needs to be a plan to take a hard turn into the wind before I reach where I am going be. It has been much better for me when I can still hunt all the way to where I am going hunt, it takes much longer, but at least I am hunting then and not fruitlessly marching. The negative aspect is that I rarely ever get to that spot before sun rise. The positive aspect is that I have taken many deer while sneaking to or away from where I sit.
So I was out placing my stand in one of my favorite spots yesterday(pinch point where 4 fingers of cover come together)and freshening the scent rope that I have hanging there. This is how I've cleared the 60 yards from the edge of the orchard to my stand tree that has a ladder stand that gets me up to the regular stand. You can see the multiple trunks on the tree which helps break up my outline even after the leaves fall. There is a lot of orchard activity around this stand until November 1st, so getting this done now will help for the peak of the rut 6 weeks from now.
(http://i1246.photobucket.com/albums/gg617/shrewshooter/entry%20to%20stand_zpsa1f1zebt.jpg) (http://s1246.photobucket.com/user/shrewshooter/media/entry%20to%20stand_zpsa1f1zebt.jpg.html)
Ray, you will probably find deer tracks in that trail.. they also like to travel the path of least resistance and where they can keep quiet. One thing I might add to this good thread is that if you just have to enter from a direction other than the "back door" I would rather come straight in to my stand to where if a deer hits my scent it should be directly in front of me and not before getting to the stand...
Some cool stuff and info.......One thing where I hunt is the wind. It's never steady from one direction. As much as I try I can never trust it to stay in my favor. I don't know why, maybe the lay of the land, but it is just constantly fickle. I almost always make my spots from 2 angles so I can try to play the wind.
Dave, yes there are tracks in the trail from time to time however its hard to see with the ferns in the picture but in a half circle around the other side of the tree for about ten yards is a pretty thick swath of juniper shrubs. Three trails converge below the juniper bushes about fifteen yards out. The path essentially dead ends at the tree.
If you use a walking stick of some sort, or the lower tip of your longbow, add another step into your cadence and you sound more like a 4 legged walker and not a two legged being.
ChuckC
I often "maintain" trails that the deer like to use. Making them more attractive to traveling deer.
I can often manipulate their movement that way.
Also by enticing them to move on the manicured trails it keeps them away from the areas I tend to use on my entrance to the stand.
I've got one stand spot where the deer were passing too close to my stand so I piled logs and brush to steer them a little further out.
I'm also big on removing sticks from my approach routes. Rustling leaves is minor compared to breaking sticks. Lots of things rustle leaves but man is the main one that breaks stuff as he walks.
Nothing is 100% but if you ain't thinkin about what you're doing out there you are setting yourself up for failure.
While I'm at it... as careful as we might try to be deer will eventually cross our entry routes. To me this is where scent control really becomes important.
A lot of guys poo poo the notion of staying scent free quoting the old saw, "just hunt the wind". They don't seem to take into account that sooner or later (usually sooner than later) deer will figure out you are coming and going from a particular place.
The longer you can put that off the better your hunting will be.
I believe in using chlorophyll for reducing my personal odor. That's one part of it.
Next you want to want to hunt the wind from the time you leave your vehicle until you get to your stand.
Wearing rubber boots helps a lot with the ground scent you leave. I think the no scent sprays also help. I apply liberally to pant legs and boots.
Then I avoid touching brush or anything else along the way in. A pair of pruning shears stays in my pocket and I clip anything I might brush up against.
Steps or ladders I grab as high as I can reach so I don't leave scent low where a deer can smell it.
A light pair of Jersey gloves sprayed with scent killer helps in this situation.
I'm one of the guys who prefers getting in really early. I used to go in when it was just light enough to see without a flash light but I've found that I end up busting lots of deer that way and then the woods don't settle down until after first light. Getting in at least an hour before light, I've killed lots of deer that came in, in the dark and hung around until I could shoot. Late season or if I know a big buck is using it, I'll get right in a bedding area 2 or 3 hours before daylight and many times kill them right at daybreak. That all being said, my best stands offer quick and quiet entry and exit routes. One thing guys screw up all the time is getting down when deer are around at night. If I have to, I'll stay in my tree an extra hour until the deer move on.
oh lordy, i forgot to buy my concentrated chlorophyll tablets for this season!!
thanks very much charlie for the reminder!
Good thread - agree with much stated - two things jump out at me that we do - one is I try and set up stand sites with the shortest entry possible when accessing by land or walking usually a skid road - two is I try to work in water entry and again once that last water is crossed be it a stream, river or lake I am in a tree within 20 yards. Using water has become a method unto itself. We have no farms in our counties - all scrub thickets - power lines - hardwoods - planted pines - marginal habitat.
Cory<><
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I've long been utilizing whatever means I can to keep my approach quiet and unseen. Sometimes it's impossible to be quiet, and that's where disguising sound comes in. I often use my voice to cluck or yelp softly on afternoon entries or late morning exits. Simultaneously I will be scratching (scuffling leaves off the trail) with my boots. It works well and I've had both deer and turkeys show up within minutes of stand entry. A 4' stick works nicely for dragging the tip or scratching in the leaves to disguise human cadence.
It makes little sense to me to do an approach where I'm broadcasting my scent into the areas holding deer. Still, due to borders, time, cover and many factors, sometimes it's a gamble I must take. If so, I don't mess around getting from A to B. I get there quick and get up. A lot of my morning approaches are done right at gray light so I can visualize fields and fencelines to avoid deer. Many times I watch with binocs until I'm satisfied the time is right and then I hustle to make cover.
I'll readily admit I'd rather be in the stand early, but this has backfired for me so many times over the years that I'm leery of it. Sitting in a tree with negative (cold) thermals pushing my scent downward and downstream has led to a lot of blowing deer just as shooting light approaches. These days I can usually shoot about 15 minutes after settling into my stand. I will go earlier if conditions warrant, such as a warmer & windier morning, or if I know I'm going to push deer...which I try to never do.
Having the luxury of hunting 100% private land (mostly my own) and living where I hunt, my trails are fairly well groomed. I bush-hog or brush-cut all my walking trails so there is no chance of vegetation contact in the dark. Deer have no innate fear of routine farm activities in farm country, so I will often run my 6' bush-hog down any trails which are loaded with cornflake leaves just to mulch them down...even in the middle of deer season.
Ray, your path reminds me of the Hansel and Gretal story where the path they followed was sprinkled with cookie crumbs. How about a trail of corn leading to your stand? :dunno: .... :D
(http://www.syracusenewtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/cookies-1.jpg)
Over 50 years ago, before tree stands we made brush ground blinds and pit blinds along the deer trails where the deer traveled to and from feeding and bedding areas. To avoid spooking the deer sometimes I would slip into my blind several hours before light. I brought a sleeping bag and would snuggle in and sleep in my blind until just before light. There were times when I would hear deer moving along the trail when it was too dark to see, yet they never knew I was there.
Now in my old age I prefer to spend those pre- dawn hours in the comfort of my bunk in camp. During the rut bucks are likely to be moving later in the morning or even in the middle of the day when most of the early risers are back in camp taking a nap. :)
QuoteOriginally posted by Ron LaClair:
Now in my old age I prefer to spend those pre- dawn hours in the comfort of my bunk in camp. During the rut bucks are likely to be moving later in the morning or even in the middle of the day when most of the early risers are back in camp taking a nap. :)
I'll remember that when I hear some snoring coming from Lobo's Lair in the middle of the day next month when we're up at camp. ;)
Of course the nice thing about sitting in my treestand up on top of Banana Ridge is that I can see who's heading back to camp for an afternoon siesta. I'll also be able to hear if there's any 'grizzly bears' trying to get into my new YETI cooler looking for pie scraps. :readit:
Ray, that's what I like about "Little Haven", or "Lobo's Lair" the bunk house that sets apart from the main cabin, it's quiet and peaceful and I can turn in early or take a nap at any time without being bothered by anyone. It's hard to impossible to sleep in if you're in the main cabin, guys in there have no respect for elders that wanna sleep in. :nono:
(http://***********.bowsite.com/tf/pics/00small45492309.JPG)
The sign that's now above the door
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This is a great thread!
My regular hunting buddy and I spend the majority of our time hunting public land, most of which is woodland based, with plenty of agriculture present mostly for wildlife management. Knowing this, many hunters in our "home base" utilize the fields more than the woods, so we opt for long walks in the woods for stand sites.
He got me into the habit of "boot sweeping" trails a few years ago after he'd done so to one of my stands and I noticed the following week that the trail was covered in deer tracks. Much like has been said above, I now use this method both for getting in quietly and manipulating deer travel.
In an area I hunted last year, there were several trails, like the spokes of a bicycle wheel, leading into a small clearing that afforded many shooting lanes. I cleared a trail to this spot from another stand site and within a few weeks time, I found that the deer had began to "prefer" this path of least resistance. I noted this and made sure to spray my boots with deer dander before entering the trail on each visit. I encountered several deer in this site laast season and the deer dander paid off, as the deer would come in at ease, sniffing the ground. At the heart of the clearing, a scrape showed up next to a sapling and a while later the sapling became a rubbing post. It seemed I had created a network station with the trail and eventually I ended up taking handsome eight point (first buck in five years of hunting) just three yards from the base of my tree.
Method of entry is a key factor for minimizing the disturbance of game and I will likely alwys go for a well swept trail unless I can get in via a waterway.
(http://i484.photobucket.com/albums/rr203/rwiske1/Facebook/Cover%20Photos/10408144_361824933990610_5840453976360005659_n_zpsgn1kkgak.jpg) (http://s484.photobucket.com/user/rwiske1/media/Facebook/Cover%20Photos/10408144_361824933990610_5840453976360005659_n_zpsgn1kkgak.jpg.html)
Congratulations Rory.
I'm very fortunate. On the ranch where I hunt I have a stand in a very secluded corner of the ranch that has a large gate...the deer have to go thru this gate to move to the other side of the ranch.
I can walk in on a cut dirt road all the way to the stand using the prevailing wind, which is blowing my scent off the ranch onto the neighboring ranch...
My stand is located just a few yards downwind from the trail that leads thru the gate..
I can walk quietly in and the whole time my scent blows away from my stand location onto the property next door.