Cutting trails…good or bad?

I’ve got some serious cabin fever and have been spending time planning how to make next years whitetail season better, and I need some input. I’ve got a small tract of land with some open areas(I’ll be putting in food plots this season) and really thick woods(low brush,thorns, mixed with some larger trees). It’s diffucult to get a shot due to the dense growth.

My question is…would it help to cut some walking trails in the woods to direct the deer towards my stand locations?? I know deer like to travel the path of least resistance, I’m just unsure if they’ll take a man made trail. If I cut the trails, I’ll probably be walking them myself. I know…I know..I know this is not a good idea, but I know I’ll walk them vs getting cut up in the thorns.

Awesome Idea Take a good hard look at your property before you make your trails. you may have to block some trails with hinge cutting but they will follow these trails almost all of the time. I also use round up on my trails. they will look like cattle trails in no time as far as walking on these trails I would try and make some separate trails for going to and from your stand site.

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Awesome Idea Take a good hard look at your property before you make your trails. you may have to block some trails with hinge cutting but they will follow these trails almost all of the time. I also use round up on my trails. they will look like cattle trails in no time as far as walking on these trails I would try and make some separate trails for going to and from your stand site.

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Awesome Idea Take a good hard look at your property before you make your trails. you may have to block some trails with hinge cutting but they will follow these trails almost all of the time. I also use round up on my trails. they will look like cattle trails in no time as far as walking on these trails I would try and make some separate trails for going to and from your stand site.

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X3 Just got back from spending all w-end doing just that. Funny how when “work” on our hunting land needs to be done my father and brother are always busy.

This is a great idea. I would cut one for the deer and one for you. Try planting a food plot seed that is shade tollerant on the one for the deer to help keep them on that one.

I love thinking about deer hunting when I am not deer hunting.
Those darn deer will take over “your” trail too. Keep those wheels turning anything you can do now to help your success rate this fall I say go for it !

Cutting trails is a very good idea but don’t count on the deer not useing the one you use to go to your stand. Don’t worry too much about your scent if you spray your boots down good. I’ve had them walk on a trail right to me 30 minutes after I got into the tree and started grunting with no idea I was in the stand. If scent would have been there he wouldn’t have made it down the trail that far. I use fox scent and spray it on pretty heavy, the deer never knew, just don’t touch any branches on your way in.

good ideas here. i cut in three trails last year through some thick stuff, they were 4 foot wide and all led to my food plot from 3 different parts of the woods. the deer used them like crazy. not so much once we got the heavy snow because all the thick stuff was pushed flat but early season bow i can see where the trails are going to benefeit us bigtime.

whatever you do, just don’t make your “enroute” trails inviting. Produce minimal trim so you can scent/de-scent, and get in/get out less noticeably. Don’t be afraid to make yourself walk a strange path that causes extra steps. The more difficult/less direct you leave a trail for yourself, the easier it’ll be to keep the deer from using it, preventing possible coverage challenges. At first, don’t be surprised to see a deer follow your exact trail, no matter what you do cuz deer ARE curious and want to know what’s going on in their area. But after awhile, your more difficult trail will hold little to no attraction to them.

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whatever you do, just don’t make your “enroute” trails inviting. Produce minimal trim so you can scent/de-scent, and get in/get out less noticeably. Don’t be afraid to make yourself walk a strange path that causes extra steps. The more difficult/less direct you leave a trail for yourself, the easier it’ll be to keep the deer from using it, preventing possible coverage challenges. At first, don’t be surprised to see a deer follow your exact trail, no matter what you do cuz deer ARE curious and want to know what’s going on in their area. But after awhile, your more difficult trail will hold little to no attraction to them.

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Thanks guys!!!