A major factor in your success as a hunter is the access route to and from your stand locations. Whether you are hunting on public or private land, proper access is paramount to your success. In this article, I will discuss critical access strategies to help you stay undetected and improve your levels of success.

Why?

For starters, it is important to address why access is so important. When you bump a deer, buck or doe, they will likely run a great distance to avoid danger . . . you. Spooking deer puts them on your neighbor's property, which is where you are not in control. Bucks that cross borders during the daylight die, it is that simple. Thus, continually spooking deer off your land prohibits your ability to be the herd influencer and advance deer to the next age class. Depending on the severity of the spook, it may take weeks for deer to return to their former habits, if at all. Needless to say, if you want to be successful in fall, you need to access properly and hunt like a predator. Here are a couple great access strategies.

Outside-In

It is crucial that your property is designed to be an outside-in property and not an inside-out property. Accessing through the middle of your property only causes you to fail. This concept is directly correlated with your property efficiency and level of “sanctuary”, but these topics will be discussed in another article. As can be seen in the images above, accessing from the outside and hunting the inside eliminates invasive intrusion and leaves a minimal scent map. As for the outside-in property example, there is no way to get in and out without spooking deer. Not to mention, there is no area of true sanctuary. Whether it is on public or private, implement an outside-in approach and your success will greatly improve.

PERPENDICULAR ACCESS

Accessing your stand location perpendicular to the deer’s movement pattern is crucial. Entering parallel to their travel routes increases the risk of spooking them, as they could be anywhere along that line. However, approaching perpendicularly greatly reduces this risk. Together with other access strategies, perpendicular access will also diminish your overall scent map.

Non Deer Areas

Many hunters overlook the importance of accessing their stands through non-deer areas. By choosing routes where deer aren’t present, you eliminate the risk of spooking them. Empty agricultural fields, extreme topography, and open hardwoods are excellent locations since they are non deer areas.

Regular Human Movement

Utilizing consistent human movement is a great approach. Driveways, roads, and backyards all make great options because deer already associate these areas with human activity. When hunters use these routes, it blends seamlessly with regular human movement, reducing the chances of alarming deer.

Clean Trails

Another important tip I recommend to all my clients is to clean your access trails. I recommend mowing all ATV trails and field roads before the season starts, typically around mid-August. By doing so, you will remove a large amount of the green vegetation that collects scent. Simply put, less vegetation and surface area results in a diminished ability to cling onto scent. Leaving minimal ground scent is important to reducing your overall scent map and overall intrusion. For small walking trails in the woods, I suggest using a weed whip and rake to clear vegetation and noisy sticks. This not only minimizes ground scent but also reduces walking noise, further decreasing your overall intrusion.

Conclusion

Altogether, access is critical to our success as hunters. Always approach your property from the outside-in rather than the inside-out, using a perpendicular route. Utilize regular human activity and non-deer areas, along with clean access trails, to minimize disturbance. The location and timing of your hunt also play a key role in determining the best route. Now is the perfect time to assess your hunting access! Evaluate your property and identify a route that minimizes or even eliminates intrusion. By establishing proper, low-impact access routes, you can significantly improve your hunting success.