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shooting lane effect on deer

For the past few years I 've been of the opinion that a lane will spook a big buck ; so I cut "openings". This has proven to a poor decision (for me) because I've not had the shot opportunities a better ,( wider and longer), lane affords. No lane, no shot, or piss poor shot to be blunt. This winter in thick swamp I'm cutting real lanes which will be there in Oct. even after summer growth. This topic seems a grey zone in bow hunting discussion but is critical for success bow or shotgun.

I cut my lanes in early spring February and March and coke hunting season deer don’t even pay attention to them anymore

I prefer to leave the woods as undisturbed as possible. Ie I never cut anything. If there is branch in my way up close to my saddle platform, I may tie it back with paracord.

I guess I just tend to not hunt super dense cover where I need to go scorched earth. Although it may make deer a little spooky right after. It's been my experience that they almost always choose a path of least resistance and most likely will start using your lane.

I just looks abhorrent to me to see natural woods/thickets intersected by a clear cut shooting lane.

Again, JMHO

I know all about you Mr hick. Tying twigs back with shoelaces and elastic bands sticking yourself in the tree in a web of ropes and aluminum rings wearing plaid shirts like great grampy and shooting a stick with a string attached all the while with bunsinburnner sized fire at the base of said tree. Whatever airs out your nylon. But as for cutting lanes I'm a firm believer cutting wide and long right now ! Mother earth will take over and produce new growth for the deer to eat and room to walk naturally and give you the perfect opportunity for a great shot. Clean quiet entry is where it's at ! Less chance of a poorly hit deer and plenty of new thick cover to draw your bow unseen. Let the sun shine in. The deer start to use your cuts immediately in my observation. Different strokes for different folks is all.

Hick.... In swamp/slash settings if you don't cut good lanes you can't hunt ; but to your point, I have seen some lanes unnecessarily overcut in other settings.

I agree it can be jarring to come upon a newly-cut, wide shooting lane in the woods. But I don’t think it does harm—arguably could be beneficial to all the critters that nibble on the resulting new growth. I don’t really cut shooting lanes myself, but that’s primarily due to laziness. As to their effect on deer behavior, I too am in the “path of least resistance” camp.

If I didn't cut lanes I wouldn't be shooting! Like above I cut them all now thru March a little wider than I'd like but that allows me to not have to recut in Sept.

How can you cut lanes in every possible spot you might hunt? I don’t mind trimming a bit but ladders and lanes will force you to hunt a location. You’re pot committed (poker term)

I normally try to find a natural shooting lanes or clearing. If they ain't there I'm making em. Every stand. And yes it's alot of work and it sux if it doesn't work out. But when it does and that deer does exactly what you planed it's great. Alot of you may b thinking clear cut. That's not always the case. Sometimes I'll just cut the tops off certain bushes so I can shoot over them. The Bush then continues to grow but grows out faster than it grows up. It's a hard prune.

Man all you guys on private choppin lanes. Cool but ma regs say no cutting of brush on public!

Chances you can stop a deer exactly when you want are slim so a lane or opening helps. Trim early in summer not just before or during season, don't over cut. create funnels with brush. It has worked for me year in and out. Mature deer will get skeptical and hedge new cuts that are too open. If you don't have an opening you cant shoot, so you have made your shot opportunity a lot harder from the start. Great to trim when you have a nother guy to help otherwise i find myself playing the deer and approaching the stand from all directions looking for openings to create possible shots. Every path i've cut seems to get used by deer soon after, Past year camera told me i had deer using my entrance path to stand , i had to re route my entrance path. Stand is now too deep in piece by 50 yards ,they are coming out of swamp behind me. Nice 10 on camera yesterday still has his rack.

drslyr, true in an ideal world. It's why I love swamps and impenetrable bull briers : I don't see another person ever. It's a wonderful feeling.

Yea....I tend to be much more mobile than most I guess. which contributes to my lack of cutting. even on my private spots, deer have some runs they use year after year and others move 10 yards one way, 50 yards another depending on changes to the environment (downed trees, new growth, standing water, etc) its not uncommon for me to move 'just a few trees over' when I see new sign or travel patterns changing. for example....previous couple years on my private spot, the deer were bedding in a super dense thicket/drainage just over the property line and behind/adjacent to a housing development. one of the few places I have a hang on stand is over a run leading into that bedding. I noticed on a preseason scout they'd stopped using that area (not sure if one of the homeowners altered their activity and somehow pushed them out...), and they moved about 100 yards uphill into a young white pine patch...so I altered my hunting. went in next morning with a red headlamp, found a three trunk maple on a new run out of that pine patch and single stick climbed, and set up. saw deer moving around in the thicket but it was young'n so I passed, but set up a false crotch preset so I can rope climb next time.

I also tend to hunt open hardwoods and field edges versus super dense brush. if there are denser areas I set up just outside of them. Ie one public spot has huge 60-80 yard patches of mountain laurel...I'd rather scout out and find where they most often transition into/out of the laurel and set up there, then clear cut a swath of laurel just so I can get a shot. again...thats just me.

Good points Deerdawg. Use brush and blowdowns to move them or force them into certain spots and or shift a trail. Two guys is key cuz as you eluded to you, you end up climbing into your stand many times to see what you still need to cut. I have also cut trails thru thick stuff in swamps for sometimes a hundred yards to get them to adapt to it and come out in front of my stand. Have killed a couple nice bucks doing this.

One spot i have hunted for at least 15-20 years that was a jungle when i first found it. Brook running down hill through the middle of swamp and thick browse on both sides. I would cut open up runs/ paths crossing brooke of briar as i scouted area over the years. I have pulled 2 deer a year out of that spot for many years. Run the file down the steel edge of the machete every time before i scout, razor sharp cutting effortlessly. I go back after stands are set to trim with fiskars pole saw. Its paid off so many times later when they step into the opening you created and you make the shot. Do be careful not to overcut to close to season, to open deer become cautious and will stay in browse. I try to cut the brush thats between the ht of me in stand and them standing, leaving the underbrose so when they look up you don't stick out. I am 95 percent of a sight hunter , i can't hear anything coming in, so i play to my strenght. Last year was one of first times i ever heard deer come in behind me at daybreak. I can't pinpoint noise location.

A lot to learn from this thread. I wish to compliment the savvy (and handsome) person who started it.

Where I hunt I have noticed if a spot is open enough to where I don’t need to trim lanes . 9 times out of ten it’s not worth hunting . For bucks atleast . My historical buck killing spots are in thick nasty stuff where the max shooting is 20-25 yards and you don’t see the deer coming till they are real close …. Mature bucks don’t like moving in open areas in daylight around me

I used to trim. Heck, when using fixed stands I'd make sure I could shoot to 40, 360 around the tree. Maybe that was a problem ha ha ha! Since going basically full-time mobile with a climber years ago and now saddle, it's just a nonfactor. I don't have the chance most of the time. That said, I've snapped off some dead branches I could reach from my perch, but that's about it.

If I was going to hunt a gnarly swamp with a fixed stand, I'd consider trimming at this point in the year, if legal.

Wilga, exactly. Most of the time I try to keep my X- bow in hand/lap so I don't get picked reaching for it when they suddenly appear 20 yds away. Where I hunt I never have the luxury of spotting them at a distance . I envy hunters that do and can keep their bow hung up.

I still hang my bow but it’s much different in the saddle . Almost zero movement to pick my bow up

Cutting shooting lanes is half the fun. The planning that goes into it is the peak. It's make or break and I want it to work. Just hanging a stand has never even occurred to me. I've been working on a new spot probably got 10 to 15 hours in on it and I haven't even hung the stand yet ! Granted its deep and because of the swamp I have to go around but at 4am I won't get off course and won't leave any scent touching anything

I might add this trail gives me access to 3 stand locations.

I cut very little in known spots i like to hunt. But im more concerned with hunting fresh sign. So i dont cut anything on my hang and hunt sits.

If setting up a new stand I always trim. I bring a pole saw. Never had a problem killing deer because I trimmed.

Deer will take 'the path of least resistance' same as we do.

I just prepped two trees that I’m highly highly excited for … one of them I barely had to cut anything just so happened that the two main runs i was setting up on had good lanes to them already while super thick everywhere else. The second one took a lot of work with the pole saw but boy will it be worth it come November . The annual rut sign in this spot is just mind blowing . Dozens and dozens of fresh and old rubs and 11 scrapes in shooting distance

Wiga, they sound like money

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