Spring Stand and Trail Prep By Pro-Staffer Jason Herbert

Spring stand and trail prep
By Pro-Staffer Jason Herbert

Spring is the perfect time of year to start preparing fall tree stand locations and trails. It doesn't take much; a chainsaw (if available), pruners, weedwhip, and possibly some wire or rope.

Post season scouting and shed hunting should have led to a few new stand locations. Once I've found a new area I want to hunt, I'll scour the location on foot and carefully analyze an aerial photograph online. Between physical scouting, and online map analysis, I usually have a pretty good idea for a precise stand location. After a spot is chosen, it's time to come back with some tools.

Keeping in mind my entrance and exit strategy, I first hack and slash a few wide trails to and from the stand. Keep in mind that any spring pruning will need to be done very aggressively because the new growth will come back with a vengeance. I cut all of my trails extra wide, knowing that once it's green, they'll shrink. I also walk circles around the stand trimming shooting lanes and checking distances.

If deer feel comfortable, they tend to be quite lazy and will choose to use well established trails. This past weekend for instance, I was prepping a tree about 50 yards off an agricultural field. It's in a perfect funnel, halfway between a swamp and the field. The deer will need to walk by somehow or another. The first 20-30 yards from the field edge is very thick, so I bundled up tight in my chainsaw gear and slashed through the mess, creating two new trails, leading from the swamp to the field, each one within shooting distance of my stand. The cuts and bruises from the ordeal will soon heal, and this fall I'll be glad I did it.

Along with creating trails, I also block a lot of them. I usually just pile up brush, hinge cut a few trees, or tie a few down to make the trail hard to use, by doing so, the deer will seek an alternate route, and hopefully be directed into safe shooting distance. This weekend, there was a slight trail skirting the edge of the swamp, just out of safe shooting range. I blocked it off, leaving the deer no choice but to trudge through the swamp, or detour in toward my tree.

I personally don't hang stands just yet, In fact, I usually don't hang too many at all. Many people do hang fall stands in the spring though. I prefer to hunt with my portable stand and sticks to keep the deer on their toes. I'll keep an eye on this spot and see if the deer start to use the new trails, then I might sneak in later this summer and hang a set.

Fall deer hunting is the last thing on some people's minds right now, but a little time and effort this time of year will pay off huge dividends come fall.