Know-How: Hack a Trail to Your Next Buck

by
posted on June 11, 2019
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
bucktrail_lead.jpg

My lightbulb rarely glows above the dim setting, but it flickered as I watched not one, but two adolescent bucks detour on a trail I had machete-hacked days earlier. They walked right past my stand at less than 20 yards. Was an even better buck to follow through the can’t-miss zone? It did two weeks later. That lesson played out more than two decades ago. Since then, a machete, saw or pruner has accompanied me during stand setup, and throughout hunting season, for more than the obvious shooting-lane maintenance.

My trailblazing passion began while hunting dense river bottoms. I needed easy access through tangled willow thickets to reach treestands stashed in lofty cottonwoods. It was that simple. Whitetails could use the existing tunnel trails, but it was pointless for me to try to walk upright in the thatched environment. After whacking my own trails so I wouldn’t have to bend and crouch on my way to stands, watching deer veer into my hand-cut paths was a surprise benefit.

Avoiding back pain is just one reason for my machete work. As a scent-control fanatic I try to avoid brushing against any vegetation while slipping toward a stand, particularly when crossing shooting lanes. I clear as much foliage as possible from foot to shoulder level to prevent leaving any hint of my passage. Combine clear-cutting with the customary dousing of scent-eliminating sprays, and your presence disappears.

There is a third reason I chose to cut trails: My devotion to decoys means packing the hollow, noisy shells from stand to stand. Every limb or branch that smacks my plastic pal sends an echoing alarm throughout tranquil woods. Hack a roomier route and problem solved.

If scent and decoy management don’t rank high on your importance list, the unintended consequence of prompting additional whitetail traffic at close range should be reason enough for becoming a recreational landscaper. Whitetails, like most animals (including you) prefer to follow the path of least resistance. By chopping a wider, easier and more visible path through heavy cover, you advertise a better way to whitetails. Many discontinue using traditional trails for the new throughway in nearly impenetrable settings.

I’ve experienced great results with my exploits in river bottoms, but field edges are where they really shine. Like many whitetail hunters, I set up just inside the timber with a shot to the field edge. To avoid the possibility of leaving scent in an edge’s shooting zone, I’ll backdoor into the timber on a trail widened by my efforts. Bucks, particularly mature ones, routinely use my pioneer paths for a hidden and downwind advantage to scent-check openings from cover. That puts them within easy shooting range. When chasing ensues, does take the new off ramp for evasive action and bucks follow into the trap.

Wielding a machete, saw or pruner is work. It may remind you of yard chores at home, but the extra labor could put a buck right in your lap this season.

Latest

LEDE Count Some Quail
LEDE Count Some Quail

Count Some Quail, Tally Some Turkeys

The Arkansas turkey season ended in May, but there’s still good reason for hunters and outdoor enthusiasts to keep the birds in mind when they head out to their favorite hiking trail or drive the backroads of The Natural State. Outdoorsmen who scare up coveys of quail are welcome in the survey as well.

2025 Online Firearm Sales Continue to Grow

While nationwide firearm sales have held steady this spring, guns.com is reporting significant growth, surpassing 10-percent year-over-year gun sales growth in the first half of 2025, according to the company's internal data.

#SundayGunday: Henry Special Products Division HUSH

This week on #SundayGunday, we’re checking out the HUSH Series, from Henry’s new Special Products Division, SPD for short.

New for 2025: Federal’s Personal Defense HST .44 Rem. Mag.

Federal Ammunition has recently added a new HST .44 Remington Magnum “Light Magnum” load featuring a specially designed hollow-point bullet, ideal for those seeking HST performance for self-defense with magnum revolvers.

Utah Wildlife Board Updates

The Utah Wildlife Board approved a few new and updated rules, some of which are necessary after recent legislative changes—including the wildlife management area license requirement for certain counties and the new process for regulating hunting guides and outfitters—along with a few other proposals during a public meeting Thursday.

Member's Hunt: A Tale of Two Moose

This month's Member's Hunt comes from John R. Bean of Tucson, Ariz.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.