Most deer hunters look past the long, hot days of summer as they think about the upcoming deer season, but now is the best time to start preparing for those proven deer stand locations.
Any hunter, who hunts the same property over time, has go-to locations where they hunt deer every year. I have many friends who set a stand in the same trees year after year, and I suspect many hunters have their favorite hotspots that seem to produce annually. If you have trees or stand locations like this, there is no better time to trim shooting lanes, clear ground cover, and hang your stand than now.
Logically, you already know you will be hunting there, so why not get everything ready now so you have extra time later? Most hunters, who obtain new hunting properties or intend to hunt in a new location on their old hunting property, don’t really have the option to trim shooting lanes and sight paths. They have no idea what that shooting lane will look like when hunting season rolls around, but hunters with time-tested locations know exactly what those lanes and paths will look like. If you are one of these lucky hunters, you already know what that location looks like without leaves, so go ahead and start trimming.
Not only will you get a jump on your deer hunting duties, but you will give the area’s deer plenty of time to acclimate to the changes. This will ensure that they are relaxed during their future travels through the area.
Another advantage of summer stand maintenance is to make sure that no heavy limbs or trees have blown down which would block or hinder any normally-used deer trail. It is important to keep the deer traveling not only where you want them to be, but where they want to be. Some hunters will take this time to place trees in positions that might block a deer’s travel routes so that they can funnel them by the stand location. If this is a tactic that you are interested in, then this is the perfect time to construct a funnel so the deer can get used to using their new travel route.
Finally, summer is a great time to gauge how the area’s oak trees are doing. Knowing what the acorn situation is before season can help you decide where and when you will want to hunt during opening day.
