Steve’s Stand Access Quiz
Chapter 7 of Bartylla’s latest book is titled Access, access, access.
3 strikes and you may be out. Lets see how you score on the quiz.
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Does your stand access or exit strategy have you walking through any food plots or natural food sources in the dark?
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Does your stand access or exit strategy have you walking upwind of food sources in the dark?
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Does you stands access have you walking less than 200 yards upwind of know deer bedding areas?
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Are your main access trails conveniently located roads created for farming or logging without regard to where the local deer bed or feed?
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Answer yes to this question if you do not know the primary deer bedding areas on your property.
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Do you bump deer (deer see, hear or small you) more than 10% of the time when accessing or exiting stands?
Any questions you answered yes to could use a little attention before you start hunting this fall. Knowing where the bulk of deer bed and feed is a great first step. Planning your stand access around that data is an important part of any plan we do, and manipulating how the deer use the parcel can spell the difference between a mediocre and top notch hunting experience.
We use a lot of habitat manipulation techniques in the aerial plans, but even if you can’t cut trees or plant screens, you have to plan proper stand access to keep your properties fresh. A good stand access plan considers the wind both on stand and while approaching/exiting your stand sites. When the deer know they are being hunted, they get much harder to kill, and a poor stand access/exit strategy is one of the quickest ways to burn out a good property.
Chapter 7 breaks down current and proposed new access for 7 different properties. Good chance one piece will be pretty similar to where you hunt. Edge feathering, sidewalks, and blockades will be covered as tools for success.
If you only make one change to your hunting strategy this season, consider your stand access strategies. Failure to plan here will leave you disappointed for certain.