Hey All, I'm starting to become one on a tractor & bush hog mowing our roadways and food plots on the private land I hunt. Its two parasols of land 300 acres each which runs about a mile by half mile each. There are many heavily wooded and thick swamp area. I'm trying to take advantage of dry spell we been having and get the bush hog into some swamps to cut paths for game to move easier but also in the woods to make it more assessable for game and ourselves to get into to scout and hunt. So my question is this, can I mow single paths through some heavily wooded areas this time of year and not run deer out permanently? I've tried to think of them as salutary areas but there so thick you could never stalk up on anything or even really scout these areas. Out of the 600 acres we hunt about only 20%. My other concern is if I mow these scouting paths will others that hunt the property be driving the side by side through them to much and that will run off game? Things that make you go Hmmm.
They will come back. Do it. As long as your not blasting the side by side through there multiple times a week I doubt youd have an issue. Is there farms around where they at least have been around farm equipment? Or are you in the deep woods? Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
No farms but we usually stay on our roads and run the tractors once or twice a year. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I think you'll be ok. We cut paths through our timber right up to the national forest border. We made the paths for our side by side. The deer go out of there way to use it. Well the does do anyway. Which comes in handy a certain time of year Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
That really what I'd like to happen. It's kind of exciting because I can cut these paths to my advantage based on seasonal winds and stand locations. Hope to get back up next week. Really great that the owner has these heavy equipment to use. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Use the brush hog for the main trails running throughout your property then get a weedeater for smaller paths that only the deer will b e able to use. I don't think one day of work will keep them away for too long as long as you stay out after your trails are done. Then I would only revisit once or twice a year to keep trails trimmed.
I would keep trails wide enough for a side-by-side to a minimum. Just where you need to get in and do work. I like to walk through the woods with a pair of loppers and make just narrow walking width paths outward from where I have stands like spokes of a tire.
I have felled oak trees in October while logging and have deer come eat acorns from the tops. I have had deer come feed in a corn field while it is being harvested. Mowing paths will not run the deer off but the deer will use them. Placing the paths along normal routes and by stand sites will help hunting. Mow again in August and put in some food plot mix to sweeten the area. If machines scared deer off then there would not be any road kills by cars.
I did a small one from the 1st field to the stand at the end of last hunting season. The deer started using it within days. About a month ago I made it even wider because trying to sneak in was brutal with all the briers. So I cut a path about 3 feet wide along the edge of the creek using a saw, pruners, then my weed eater with blades on it. I will spray it with weed killer this weekend. I am thinking about planting clover all the way down the trail.
I try and "cut my hunt" by cutting paths through some of the nasty stuff and have the trails that I cut end up in an area that I can get in and out of without disturbing the area and ends in an area that the deer want to go to.
