Preparing for This Fall

By Brandon Wikman

Hunting season only lasts a few months, but whitetail fanatics across the country think about it every single day. Needless to say, there’s plenty of whitetail-work to prepare for already if you want to increase your odds of hoisting a trophy from your gambrel this fall.

The mind of a whitetail addict is always in overdrive – whether it’s planting food plots, using Moultrie’s Game Management System during the off-season, setting up treestands, monitoring your herd with trail cameras, and so much more. The work literally doesn’t stop – and as a wise man once said, “you get as much out of something as you put in.”

I keep a journal that helps me remember my to-do list. My hunting and outdoor checklist hasn’t been up to par over the past few weeks since shed-hunting season has ended. So I made it a point this weekend to touch up my Summit treestand perches, clear shooting lanes, and mow my trails.

Mowing Trails:
Mowing trails is a great way to keep your clover healthfully trimmed, land cleared from debris, and forest looking clean. Our farm has several ATV trails that meander across the agriculture fields and through the forestland into the swamps. It takes a solid day to cut down the weeds that choke the small alleyways of woodland intersections.

One of the biggest reasons I mow is that it helps me get into my stands and trail ways much easier, quieter, and stealthier.

Summit Stands:
I’ve always been a concrete believer that you should have your treestands in the woods and attached to a tree at least a few months before hunting season arrives. Hanging stands in the summer is obviously no walk in the park. The combination of sauna style humidity, scorching heat, and bombarding mosquitoes make it a miserable time in the forest.
     
Clearing Debris:
Clearing underbrush and limbs away from your stand will not only enhance your shot opportunity, but also provide you a silent entry and exit route. There’s no need to worry about getting an eye poked when walking to your stand in the dark. You will be glad you took a few minutes of your afternoon to do so come deer season.

The whitetail season may seem an eternity away, but I assure you that it will be here before you know it. Take advantage of any free time you have right now to prepare your property for opening weekend.

Comments

[Nashville Handgun]

Clearing debris is something I used to skimp on. However, after having an arrow fall strangely off target - causing a deer to walk - I find that extra clearing vital. Upon further investigation, there was a small limb, too close to catch in my line of vision, that the arrow hit dead on.

[Spyderco Resilience Sale]

Its surprising the difference it can make just having a bit of a clean up. I find it far easier once all the debris has been cleared and I have a clear eyeline