Steve from Ohio asks,
Bill, What are your thoughts on creating “manmade” habitat pinch points, such as felling trees or a brush blockade, where you can set a stand and have good access in and out undetected, but is maybe not the most “ideal” spot for deer sign? Will deer eventually become accustomed to the new route per ser, and over time will it create a better hunting spot since you are no longer diving into areas where you are spooking deer? Thanks
Bill responds,
Topic: Manipulating Deer Trails and Travel Routes:
One of the most aggressive ways you can manipulate deer trails and travel routes is to open a gate. The next most effective method is to mow a path for the deer to follow. Just dropping a few small trees won’t have much effect unless you stack them to make a barrier that is at least three or four feet tall.
Steve,
I have done it a couple of times, but not a lot. Just enough to know the strengths and weaknesses of this method. For sure it works if done aggressively enough.
For the most part, I like to hunt the deer on their terms, so that means little manipulation – but that is just me. However, I have – and will continue to – hunt over open gates. So I guess I am manipulating them in that regard. I think the most aggressive way you can adjust or manipulate deer travel patterns is to open a gate in a place where deer want to travel.
Nothing does a better job of pinching them than that – so I guess I am something of a hypocrite as relates to this topic. I love open gates!
You could even put in a gate where you want the deer to travel and then open it! I have never done that, but it would definitely work great. I even know people who put in fences and then left openings (gates) in the middle just to funnel deer. That will for sure work, but is a bit too heavy-handed for me.
If I didn’t have so much time to hunt, I would probably manipulate the habitat more aggressively in order to bring more deer within range.
You have to really make a wall (or path) with cover if you want see much difference. In other words, just dropping a few trees may not move the deer much as they see this all the time and will just step over (or jump over) the trunk rather than go all the way around the tree – unless it is really big. That means you have to pile stuff up if you really want to divert them.
Any easier way is to actually cut a trail through thick cover and the deer will adopt that trail as their own very quickly. This (along with opening a gate) is probably the most effective way you can change how they travel. Good luck. (7/10/22)
