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Tips on Getting Permission to Hunt on New Ground

May 23, 2017/0 Comments/in Got Game Blog /by Stone Road

Tips on Getting Hunting Permission

FEATURE: Dan Aquino

Permission. Quite possibly the most frustrating word in a hunter’s dictionary. Not the weather, the season, or the regulations, or even the game…it’s permission. Getting access is something that strikes fear and frustration in the hearts of many hunters. Hunting land is so parceled into segments and sub-segments it is no wonder those struck with a deep sense of wanderlust exit for the West when given the chance to search for larger parcels of land rich in the game to roam. If you study history, you’ll realize a tax map of many areas around the country looks much like Europe during the age of the futile system. Whether it is just the times and everyone’s general distrust of new people or that there really isn’t enough room for everyone; perhaps the issues in some areas with deer numbers are not related to a lack of hunters, but a hunter access problem.

Getting Permission Should Be a Calculated Task

Just knocking on doors is hit or miss. More often than not the land behind house number one is not the owner of the property. Sometimes this is the case and others it is not. Using aerial technology to your advantage can help you identify the pieces of property you want to seek permission to hunt on. This is a time-saving method to help you narrow in the handful of properties you want to target. This makes finding permission more manageable and not as daunting.

Map in Hand

When you narrow down the properties you’d like to hunt, the next big problem is finding out who owns what. Looking at all the land out there and trying to dissect the tangled web of ownership it in one sitting will leave you overwhelmed. Half the battle to gaining permission is knowing where the land owner can be found. That house planted on the side of the road with a large swath of timber behind it probably won’t be the owner. You can do things the old fashion way by getting a tax map. However, town tax maps can be difficult to read as they are typically in vague black and white photos giving you only a small snapshot of the property you want to hunt. Tracking down the correct information is an additional hassle we don’t need to put up with in the age of technology. OnXmaps is an easy-to-use platform which gives you all the information you need about property lines right on your phone or GPS. You can see in real time who owns what and where the best address to contact the owner is to give you a chance to knock on their door for permission.

Being ethical about property boundaries is a must for hunters. However, especially in the east where land has been divided and subdivided hundreds of times over the past two hundred years of this country’s existence, who owns what property can become down-right confusing. Just looking at a map from the sky makes you shake your head. In real time you can know where you are and who owns what property with this simple phone app.

Getting Over The Fear

There is an unnatural fear of knocking on someone’s door. It is a fact that there is apprehension and a twisting uneasiness in our stomachs every time we pull into a random driveway and head for the door. We become a blabbering mumbled mess of adrenaline. This uneasiness keeps many people from doing so. Remember to simply relax and smile and keep in the back of your mind the worst someone can say is, no. So what if they say no? It won’t be the end of the world.

If you are feeling stressed out by the prospect of knocking on someone’s door remember the following tips.

Deep breathing exercises can naturally help alleviate tension in your body and help you relax. Do a few deep breathing exercises help to refocus yourself and stifle an adrenaline rush.

Much like taking a deep breath when shooting a bow, breathing distributes oxygen to all your vital organs in your body. A reduced heart rate and normalized pulse will keep you focused on the task at hand and also relax your tense muscles. As you are driving up to the driveway to ask for permission, Inhale and exhale in a calm manner through your nose. Take the classic method of taking a deep breath, counting to four, hold for two, counts, and then exhale.

The worst someone can say is no. Quit thinking negatively. Negative thought accelerates tension and stress which can turn you into a bumbling fool. Thinking of the situation positively with no expectation and help you overcome and control subsequent panic attacks.

Getting Permission | Landowner Perspective Tips

Put yourself in the owner’s shoes. They have probably been asked dozens of times for access. Make sure to dress for success. Business casual, jeans sans the holes and mud we typically associate with outdoor wear, is appropriate. How you look when you knock on a door gives off the perception of how you will treat their land. Appearance equals the perception of respect.

Timing

The time of year to ask permission also makes a big difference. Two weeks before the season is not the best time to ask. Starting in the offseason a great Way to build trust is to ask for permission for small game or predator hunting. This is fairly noninvasive and allows you a chance to get to know people. Don’t rush to ask for permission for a high-value target like deer or turkeys.

Archery Only

Offering to regulate yourself to archery only seasons is another great way to shed any previously held stereotypes the landowner may have about hunters. Explain the quiet and noninvasive nature of bow hunting to the land owner. Landowners who may have been left with a bad taste in their mouths from past party hunting experiences will be wary of many people wanting to hunt in groups. Positioning yourself as a solo and quiet hunter willing to help out around the farm or house can help gain the confidence of landowners.

Trust and Networking

When stepping out of your comfort zone to find permission to hunt it is easy to see that many areas have such deep roots among community members, earning trust is not going to happen by simply knocking on the door. Growing trust does not happen overnight so here are a few things to do in order to help network in local communities and engage with landowners.

Engagement

Engaging with a complete stranger is difficult. Remember to ask the owners questions and let them talk. Take notice of things around their property, pictures and ask about it. If someone can become comfortable with you quickly there is a better chance they will let you have access.

Offer To Help

This is not a one-way road. Offer to help with chores around the property throughout the summer in exchange for access. Simple actions or offers lets people know you are serious and can be trusted. Offer to cut tails or mow, watch pets, find something to do to gain trust.

Always Say Thank You

Maintaining a relationship is paramount to future success. Always send a card in the offseason around the holidays or share meat from your successful hunt. Food goes a long way to winning people’s hearts and again lets people see you are of good character and are eligible for earning their trust.

Remember The Public Lands System

The one piece of property you don’t need permission on is public land. Now, when the word public land comes to mind some people automatically discount the idea based on apprehension and fear. Sure, the risk of bumping into someone is higher. However, the unnatural fear of law enforcement and unruly crowds has protected would-be dynamite hunting spots. For some people, especially if one is new to an area, to look at all public land options is the only choice. Public lands come in multiple forms more than most people realize. There is the more well-known federal ownership of lands such as wilderness and national forests, refuges then there are state game lands such as wildlife management units. Some state parks allow for activities such as bow hunting which you can learn about with a bit of research.

Then there are land trusts, privately held lands open to the public through the application. These take a bit more digging to find but can have incredible results. Knowing what public land options are available are key to success. If you can compartmentalize fear of public lands, the world is your oyster. Scouting is the number one key to hunting public lands in order to build familiarity with the area but also to find out how the animals move when the pressure hits. For some, hunting public land is an afterthought. For others, it is the only choice. While some may have a fear of hunting on the public ground, there may be a day where it is gone permanently. Taking the time to learn to hunt public lands keeps a great resource for all sportsmen across the country alive. With government eyeing public lands to divest them for money, it is important to become invested in something we all own to protect it for the future.

Garnering permission for hunting grounds is becoming more difficult. It takes the time to build relationships and earn the trust of landowners. Regardless if you hunt on private ground or on the public, we have a responsibility to care for the lands. Pack out what you take in. Don’t leave messes for the next person since it only hurts the chances of being invited back to hunt those private ground the next season.

Ground Blinds 101 | Guide to Using Ground Blinds

Ground Blinds: A Viable Solution for Hard to Hunt Areas

Often ground blinds are overlooked by hunters as a viable solution for successful hunting. Some seem to feel that it is cumbersome to carry a ground blind in, erect it, then to have to take it down, repack it, and carry it out. The advantages to using a ground blind far outweigh the slight inconvenience of carrying, setting up, and brushing in the ground blind and can be the difference between a harvest or taking a tag home.

Ground blinds can be an advantage to hunters in many ways. The most important factor is concealment from the game animal hunted. Other factors add value to using ground blinds such as an ideal way to introduce youth hunters to hunting, setting up in a place that would be otherwise inaccessible for a hunt, and providing some shelter from possible rain, snow, or other weather conditions.

Ground Blind Styles

There are several different styles of ground blinds available on the market from chair blinds to hub-style ground blinds in a variety of sizes for up to four people. Where spring steel ground blinds are the lightest, hub-style ground blinds offer the most durability and are a little more convenient to erect. What type of ground blind you choose is going to weigh greatly on your intended use. If multiple hunters or a cameraman and hunter are going to share the ground blind, a ground blind with a larger footprint will be more convenient.

When the intended use it to carry the ground blind in for a days’ hunt, the hunter should look for features that offer a lightweight ground blind that incorporates a carry bag with straps. The floor size should be adequate to accommodate a foldable chair and the hunter’s gear allowing at least an 180 to a 270-degree view. A standard two-person ground blind is going to have approximately a 60” x 60” shooting width and anywhere from a 54” to 64” standing height similar to the Big Game Quantum ground blind. If room for a cameraman, additional gear, or an additional hunter is required, blinds similar to the Big Game Charger ground blind with a larger shooting width is ideal.

Ground Blind Features

Ground blinds are available in numerous exterior camo patterns, and It is typical for ground blinds to have a black-backed interior to help conceal the hunter inside. Where ground blinds differ in size and height, it is also important to consider the features. Ground blind window styles will vary in features, with quiet adjustability and ease of use being the most important. Ground blind companies incorporate a combination of elastic hook closures, elastic curtain bands, zippers, magnets, Velcro, and/or elastic cord slides used in conjunction with material screen and window panels made of the same exterior material. The design height of the window can vary and should always be considered for the type of hunting you plan to do. Many ground blinds are designed with elongated corner windows for bowhunting. The more viewing and shooting adjustability a ground blind offers, the more useful the ground blind will be to the hunter. A corner back panel is used for the entrance/exit panel that incorporates a zipper for access.

Accessories

When using a ground blind, a chair will be necessary and fully adjustable, swivel chairs work the best. There are several different styles of ground blind chairs available. If you are carrying a ground blind in for a hunt and plan to put it up at the beginning of your hunt and take it down at the end of your hunt, a small folding chair such as the triangle seat chairs will offer carrying convenience but does not offer extended sitting comfort. If the hunter plans to sit extended hours or multiple days, a fully adjustable ground blind chair will be a better solution for the hunter.

The interior of the ground blind will have one or more wall pockets to store small items and hunting accessories in while in the ground blind hunting. Some ground blinds offer a bow hanging system. Other ground blind accessories are available on the market to allow hunting gear to be accessible; window shelves, bendable hanging strips for a bow or light source, and hooks.

Placement of Blinds

The placement of ground blinds is always important for a successful hunt. It is important to strategically place the ground blind where there is a wide angle of view and where the hunter will have the advantage of the best shot opportunity. It is not as critical as to brushing the ground blind in and the length of time the ground blind has been placed before commencing to hunt in the blind when turkey and hog hunting. Turkey and hog do not seem to be as leery with new ground blind placements, and often hunters are successful with a shot opportunity on the same day the ground blind was placed.

With deer and other large game, it is critical to place the ground blind inconspicuously by brushing the ground blind in to the surrounding area, all the while keeping in mind the placement for the highest shot opportunity in direct correlation with the way the game being pursued is using the area. Many ground blinds will feature a way to secure limbs to the exterior of the blind for brushing in with limbs; either with ties or banded straps. It is helpful to keep in mind where the sun will rise and set to keep from placing the ground blind where the hunter will be looking directly into the direct sun interfering with hunter’s shot.

Ground blinds will come with ground stakes, and most will include nylon tie-down cords. It is always good practice to tie down the ground blind, especially if the blind will be left unattended for any length of time or on windy days. Most ground blinds will include a zippered carrying case with straps for carrying comfort and convenience. Often these carrying bags will have a pocket to store the ground stakes and rope in. With most of the ground blind bags, the main zippered compartment can accommodate a small folding stool.

Setting a ground blind up against a tree line, dense brush, cedars, hay bale, or some other object will allow the blind to blend in. Windows should be opened only to the width to safely make a shot with the weapon being used. Pay attention to the side or back windows because a see-through silhouette will be visible to game animals approaching from the sides of the ground blind.

Maintenance

One of the first things recommended once you select a ground blind is to erect the ground blind outdoors, spray down the exterior with an anti-UV spray, paying the most attention to the roof and three-quarters of the way down the exterior walls. This anti-UV spray will protect the color and finish of the exterior of the ground blind. After the anti-UV spray has been applied per the manufacturer’s instructions and has dried completely, a water repelling spray should be applied to the entire roof and the portion of the ground blind that would be likely to leak; typically to the top of the windows. This treatment will assist in repelling water. For seams and stitching holes, shoe goop can be applied to those areas sealing the holes from leaks keeping hunters and gear dry inside. Shoe Goop is a rubber type adhesive that dries to a pliable finish on nylon, canvas, plastic, and rubber. Make certain all areas applied are completely dried before folding down the ground blind for storage.

If it is ever necessary to pack the ground blind in the field wet from rainy weather, it is imperative to erect the ground blind for drying as soon as possible after the hunt to inhibit mold and to keep the blind materials from deteriorating. If the weather is not cooperative to set the blind up for air drying within a 24-48 hour period, the ground blind should be taken out of the carrying case and any water found should be wiped away with a dry towel.

If the ground blind zippers get mud in them, the zippers should be rinsed well with water by a direct stream of a water bottle with sprayer or spritzer top and dried off. If you find that the zippers are hard to zip and unzip, you can use unscented bar soap or a glycerin bar on the zipper teeth allowing the zipper to glide easier.

If a hunter is traveling to hunt public or private land, it is always a good idea to load a ground blind up for the trip; you may find the perfect hunting spot that does not work well with a stand. If unexpected weather arises, a ground blind could save the hunt. Utilizing a ground blind while introducing a new hunter or youth hunter to hunting; allowing more concealment and giving the mentor the option of to assist a youth with the shot. Erecting a ground blind will offer a hunter a viable solution in saving the hunter valuable hunting hours versus taking the time to erect a stand. There are many reasons to consider a ground blind for hunting that far outweighs the small inconvenience of carrying the ground blind in, setting it up, brushing it in, and having to take it down after the hunt. Adding a quality ground blind to a hunter’s gear inventory will prove to be a wise investment for a practical, viable solution for hard to hunt areas, high traffic areas not suitable for stands, when extra concealment is necessary, or cover for those days with not so favorable forecasts.

essential tree stand gear hunting accessories | Big Game Treestands

Which Hunting Accessories Do You Really Need?

October 13, 2016/1 Comment/in Climbers, Fixed Position, Got Game Blog, Ground Blinds, Ladder Stand /by Big Game

The Ultimate Essential Gear and Hunting Accessories to Bring to the Tree

The topic of “essential hunting gear” is often pretty controversial. Everyone has their own opinion of what item deserves a spot in their hunting backpack, and as a result, the conversation can be hotly contested. The key is in knowing which hunting accessories and gear are truly essential and which are comfort items. The first category are things that you literally couldn’t hunt without, either because you didn’t have the necessary tools or couldn’t stay in the tree stand long enough to see a deer anyway. Then there are just “nice-to-have” items, which might keep you slightly more entertained or maybe offer a slightly more comfortable sit. Knowing the difference between the two is critical if you have to hike into your hunt (e.g., during a backcountry hunting trip) or simply don’t have much room in your tree stand. In these cases, you need to eliminate the unnecessary items as much as possible. We’ll only discuss the items that will offer a distinct advantage to you on your next hunt, and are therefore considered essential.

Naturally, the essential gear and hunting accessories you need will depend on what kind of hunt you’re doing and what season you’re in. An early September hunt for antelope on the Great Plains will require very different hunting equipment than a late December hunt for northern Wisconsin whitetails. The further north you go, the higher in elevation, or the later in the season you hunt, the more warm clothing options you’ll need. On the opposite side of the coin (e.g., southern regions or early season hunts), you’ll need lighter, sweat-wicking clothing to keep you cool and dry. For the purposes of this article, we’ll assume we’re hunting deer in the middle of the country in the early season to mid-season time frame of October (i.e., right now). Use this as a starting point and adapt your hunting gear list to your conditions and specific type of hunt.

Types of Essential Deer Hunting Equipment and Hunting Accessories

For easier reading and organization, we’ve divided the different pieces of hunting gear for whitetail deer into separate buckets, if you will. From clothing to weapons to other necessities, we’ve got you covered. Take a glance through the different categories and see how your deer hunting supplies list stacks up before it’s time to head to the woods.

Hunting Weapon-Related Gear

Depending on when the seasons open in different states, a mid-October time frame almost certainly includes bow hunting, but it may also include gun season. Either way, if you’re not bringing a bow, crossbow, rifle, or shotgun to the woods with you, you’re probably not going to fill your tag. But if you forget your corresponding ammunition at home, you’re also going to go nowhere fast. Almost every hunter has at one point forgotten their ammo in the garage and had a very uneventful day because of it. Always keep your arrows in your bow case or carry an extra box of ammunition in your backpack throughout the hunting season to ensure you’ll be able to keep hunting. And if you’re bow hunting, you might also want to keep an extra release in your coat pocket…don’t act like you haven’t forgotten it before!

Bow, crossbow, rifle, or shotgun;
Arrows, bolts, cartridges, or shells, respectively;
Case to transport your weapon;
Release (for bow hunting).

Hunting Clothing Items

As we mentioned, clothing requirements will vary across the country and between people. Some folks run hot and some run cold. But there are some basic types of clothing that you can scale up or down. What we mean is that you can add or subtract layers or use warmer or cooler versions to get you where you need to be. The pattern of your hunting clothes is also important, as some states and seasons require you to use blaze orange, while others approve of camouflage clothing. Make sure you know which one you need. When you’re deer hunting, you also need to pay attention to your scent; more specifically, you need to hunt without it. That makes scent elimination clothing so important. In no particular order:

Hat (visor to keep the sun out of eyes or stocking cap to keep head warm);
Base layers (to wick sweat away from skin);
Insulating layers (adjust for your situation);
Shell layer (water and wind resistant to keep your other layers dry and protected);
Rain gear (for when the skies really open up);
Socks (regardless of season or location, wool socks will be a valuable gear item);
Hunting boots (appropriate to keep your feet warm and dry);
Gloves (hunting with cold hands is miserable and dangerous).

Tree Stand-Related Gear

Given the title of this article, we’re assuming you are indeed going to end up in a tree stand at some point. You’ll obviously need to bring that with you, as well as any miscellaneous straps, ropes, chains, locks, or ladder sections to actually hang it and climb into it. Depending on what kind of hunting you’ll be doing, you may want a slightly different type of tree stand. Climbing tree stands and hang-on tree stands are great for staying mobile and keeping the deer guessing. But ladder stands and box blinds are reliable stands that you can return to with no work involved. If your feet will be leaving the ground, you really should also be using a safety harness to ensure that an unexpected departure from the stand doesn’t end up badly for you. Always stay connected to the tree using a harness and safety line. Safety equipment should never be considered as hunting accessories.

Tree stand (ladder stand, climbing stand, hang on stands, etc.);
Quick-Stick ladder sections (if a hang on stand);
Miscellaneous straps (for attaching your tree stand);
Chains, cables, and locks (to secure your stand from would-be thieves);
Safety harness with a safety
Tree hooks for bow, gear, and backpacks

Other Necessary Hunting Accessories

After all of the gear above, it might seem like you’re fairly covered and couldn’t carry anything else into the woods with you anyway. But there are a few other hunting accessories you really need to make your hunt more productive. Assuming you actually get a deer, you’re absolutely going to need a knife to field dress it. It’s also just useful to have in the woods to help with cutting rope or cord or marking your license. A set of high-quality optics is also critical for noticing deer before they notice you. Depending on the area you’re hunting in, you might not have a good spot to really glass a long distance (e.g., dense conifer forest, etc.). But it is really handy to assess a buck from a distance to see if he’s a shooter or not before he gets close enough to see you moving. A range finder is also critical for laser-accurate bow shots. Unless you are committed to getting in and out of the woods quickly during the day, you should carry a flashlight or headlamp with you. If you’ve ever been in the woods once darkness falls, you know it’s a completely different world. Even if you’ve been hunting the same area for years and spent all day studying every single trail and tree from your stand, you can lose your way in a split second once you’re on the ground. Carry a light with you. You can partially eliminate the issue of getting lost by marking your trail using reflective tacks or markers too.

When it comes to getting closer to deer (or bringing them closer to you, more accurately), you need to pull out all the hunting accessories. Using whitetail deer calls and convincing scents will drastically increase your chance at encountering a nice buck. When used in combination, they can fool a buck into thinking there is a doe in heat hanging around, which is almost guaranteed to interest him. This is especially useful in mid-October, which is typically the pre-rut period. No matter what clothing you’re wearing, you can still pick up scents from your truck or ATV, so always spray everything with a scent elimination product before you head into the woods and when you get to your tree stand.

Then there are all the other necessary items that make your life easier. A 20-foot length of rope or paracord is really helpful for many things in the woods, from hauling deer, hanging a tarp, or pulling your hunting accessories up into your tree stand with you. However, it’s more convenient to use a Magna Lift for hoisting gear up into your stand. Many hunters often forget (or willingly neglect) to drink enough water while sitting in a tree stand all day, but it’s critical to bring a water bottle or canteen with to stay hydrated. Since many people start their mornings with the aid of coffee, you’ll find that you’re suddenly very dehydrated in the middle of the day. And you can’t think clearly when you’re dehydrated. The same thing goes for food. If you don’t snack throughout the day, your blood sugar will plummet and so will your reasoning, patience, and strength. You should always have a folding saw in your hunting pack because a near-perfect tree for a climbing tree stand could be made perfect by just trimming a few branches. Finally, keep some toilet paper in a plastic bag in your pack. Don’t learn the hard way. Enough said.

Fixed blade or folding knife (field dressing, general purpose, etc.);
Binoculars;
Range-finder;
Headlamp or flashlight;
Reflective tacks and markers;
Doe can call and buck grunt call;
Doe in estrous scent and buck urine scent;
Scent eliminating spray;
Rope/cord/Magna Lift (for hauling deer or hoisting gear);
Water bottle and snacks;
Folding hand saw
Toilet paper.

It might seem crazy once you lay all of these items out that you could possibly bring them all into the woods with you. But these hunting accessories and gear items are important to help you stay comfortable all day and improve your hunting success. If you’re comfortable and content, you’ll be more likely to stay in the woods for the long haul until you can put a deer down. Will you need every one of these items on every single hunt? Maybe not. But when you do need them, you’ll need them in a bad way. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

hanging tree stands trim sooting lanes | Big Game Tree Stands

Hanging Tree Stands | How to Trim and Hunt Shooting Lanes

August 3, 2016/0 Comments/in Got Game Blog, Ladder Stand /by Big Game

Cutting Shooting Lanes While Hanging Tree Stands

If you’re used to hanging tree stands in thick woods, you know the value of shooting lanes. Without them, you might be able to see a mature whitetail buck moving below you, but you could not ethically take a shot at it; this is especially true if you’re bow hunting. While natural openings work well enough in some forested settings, some are not well-suited for this. Some examples could include young aspen or conifer forests, which grow too densely together or have too many lower branches to effectively take a shot through them.

Conventional wisdom is to wait until the week before deer season opens before hanging tree stands and clearing new shooting lanes or cleaning up existing ones. This can be a problematic situation. Deer are far more familiar with their environment than many realize. Imagine if someone knocked down one of the walls in your house or cut down one of the trees in your yard. You’d realize it pretty quickly, right? Deer know their surroundings very well and can notice when something looks different. They can also smell the freshly-cut trees lying around with whatever other scent you leave behind. Depending on where you live, this might not bother them all that much or it might put them on high alert. For example, suburban deer might not hesitate to move through a disturbed area like this, but big woods bucks would certainly be suspicious of the area for several days, if not longer.

A better strategy is to go out in the mid-summer months to cut new shooting lanes and clean up old ones. If you hunt on private land, this is also a good time for hanging tree stands. Then, a week or two before the season opens, you can simply go check everything to make sure the lanes are still open and in good condition. Unless a tree falls within them, they should only require minimum work (and thus disturbance) to finish them. But first, let’s take a step back.

Planning Your Shooting Lanes

Before the chainsaw or pole saw comes out into the woods with you, you need to do some quick thinking. For help visualizing how the shooting lanes will fit into the surrounding area, use some desktop scouting software to map it out before you cut anything. Ideally, you should also climb into your tree stand and picture the best direction for a shooting lane to go. Which way would be the most advantageous for a quick shot? Also, how many do you plan to cut? You want to walk the fine line between not seeing enough ground and having too many lanes. Though each tree stand location will vary in its shooting lane requirements, a good rule of thumb to start with would be at least 2 to 3 lanes per stand. This way, you can cover three different directions to accommodate different deer travel patterns. Be sure to remember this every time you are hanging tree stands.

The ultimate design or layout isn’t really important – it just depends on what you’re willing to do and how much the deer would be disturbed. If you’re going to cut a series of larger or longer shooting lanes, it’s best to do it now so whitetails have time to settle down and get used to the new openings. The simplest option is a basic V-shape extending out from your tree stands, so you can see in two different directions. Theoretically, if a deer walks in front of your stand, you should get one opportunity to spot the deer and one to shoot it with a quartering away shot. However, another popular option is the hub and spoke design, where there are several shooting lanes radiating out in every direction from the tree stand. This allows a hunter to intercept deer along any of these paths.

The ultimate length of each shooting lane will depend on your goals for that location too. For example, if you plan to only bow hunt from a given area, you really only need lanes that are at your maximum ethical shot distance. For most, that would be 40 to 50 yards in length. This helps you gauge distance without a range finger, and eliminates any temptation to take a longer shot. But if you plan on hunting with a rifle, you could easily have 200 yard lanes in front of you.

Trimming While Hanging Tree Stands

As we mentioned, the best time to cut these lanes with the least impact is when you’re hanging tree stands. It doesn’t really matter which type of hunting tree stands you’re setting up. But if you’re going to go through the effort of cutting shooting lanes, it goes without saying that you should probably hunt it more than just once or twice out of climbing deer stands. The best tree stands for these lanes would be something more permanent, such as ladder stands. The Venture ladder stand has a wide, curved platform with a matching seat so you can watch several shooting lanes around you.

First, climb into your deer stand and locate the direction you chose earlier. Now pick a landmark tree off in the distance along your intended path. Stay between your tree stand and that landmark as you cut, which should produce a straight shooting lane. You can use a chainsaw for larger trees, but a simple hand saw and pair of pruning shears/loppers is usually all that’s needed for saplings and brush. Inevitably, there will be branches from larger trees extending into your shooting lanes that would interfere with a shot from up in your lock on stands. An extendable pole saw is invaluable for these situations.

How to Enhance Your Shooting Lanes While Hanging Tree Stands

Instead of simply piling the cut branches and brush off to the sides of each lane, consider using them to enhance your tree stand concealment. Wary whitetails often look down each side of a shooting lane before entering it. Your tree stands will really stick out if you don’t use some natural camouflage. Use zip ties or twine to attach some of the branches to your tree stands, which will break up your outline in the tree. Bring along a portable tree saw when you hunt, just in case something shifts in your stand. You can also prop cut trees up against your tree and attach them to the base so your single tree looks like a clump.

Additionally, deer will sometimes use shooting lanes as short-distance travel routes since they offer the path of least resistance. But sometimes they will bolt right across them since they have no real reason to stay in the open. There are a few hunting methods to counter this tendency. The first would be hanging a scent wick where you want them to stop within the lane, and applying your favorite deer odor to it. Another, where legal, is to use a mineral block near the end of the lane to catch early season bucks.

Planting small food plot strips along your lanes is also great to hold them still long enough for a shot, this is something you should keep in mind when hanging tree stands and trimming shooting lanes. Provided your lanes get enough sunlight, simply use some herbicide on the existing vegetation, being sure to use one that will kill cut tree stumps (e.g., triclopyr) as well as the herbaceous growth (e.g., glyphosate). After letting the herbicide work for a few weeks, go back in and expose the soil using a hard-tined rake, roughing up the surface a little in the process. Broadcast seed that can handle your local soil, sunlight, and water conditions. Perennial clover varieties should work great on shaded trails with less-than-perfect soils. Remember, you’re not trying to make these shooting lane food plots into lush, ultra-attractive plots. Instead, you simply want deer to pause for an opportunistic snack while they’re walking through. Therefore, you don’t need to spend a lot of time and money making them look like one on TV.

You probably didn’t think much about shooting lanes when hanging tree stands before, except that they might give you a better shot at a deer, if you were lucky. But if you use the tips above, you should be able to increase their effectiveness many times over to put luck on your side.