Back a few months ago, I heard Dr. James C. Kroll (Dr. Deer) use the term, “Landscaping for Whitetails” and it stuck in my head. His segment was based on preparing your land for the deer. After watching his segment I realized that I have been doing that for years but he hit home with a few points that I have overlooked. Most people say deer are lazy and that they always take the path of least resistance. Is that really lazy or just more efficient? If a deer has a choice between two trails where one is blocked by a downed tree and the other one is open, which one do you think they are going to take? Which one would you take?
I have incorporated this concept into my preparation for the upcoming hunting seasons. I had a great bow stand on the end of a logging deck that has been converted into a food plot. The pines had been thinned a few years ago and the unwanted new pine growth had taken over the clear lanes. I noticed that the turkeys did not like walking through them because of the thickness and I have found turkey carcasses where the predators had successfully killed a couple of them in this growth. So, my buddy and I decided to take the tractor and brush hog and mow out these lanes before they got too big. He operated the tractor while I took the chainsaw and cut down unwanted young pines. I took video of this work and you can see the before and after shots of the lanes. I also cut lanes strategically around my bow stand in hopes of influencing the deer as they travel around this food plot. Now the deer and turkeys will be able to walk through this area and feel safe since they can see their surroundings. This concept of landscaping for wildlife is a new tool that I am going to add to my tool box for prepping for the upcoming season.