How early do you clear lanes?

[lil hunter]

Well the past few years we'd go out about right now and cut down a bunch of smal tree's in front of rthe stand so the thing isn't as thick. Then we'll go back a few eeks before season to cut down small bushes etc to put on our stands to camouflage them. We don't really cut any shooting lanes.

[Strut10]

June or July .........if I can determine that early that I'll be hunting a particular tree.

[sureshot]

Earlier the better. I hunt ground blinds so I like at least 4 shooting lanes.I did most of mine last month I finished up last weekend.

[buckshot]

I usually put my loc on stands up 2 to 3 weeks before season opens and do any clearing for shooting lanes then also.

[Tominator]

i move around so much always looking for different areas to heat up that i rarely even cut lanes. if you're committed to a certain stand i would cut them early. gives the deer time to adjust.

[archerjg]

I ground hunt and do not clear lanes.

Archerjg

[MrWiggely]

we cut ours last fall, then just touched the up a bit in june. I hunt from the ground also, but it is in some of the nastiest stuff you can find, but I have always taken good deer, and see few hunters.

wigs

[007hunter]

I do the clearing the same time I hang my stands which is 2 or 3 weeks before the season.

[Jeramie]

My fixed stand is in a huge oak tree. This thing looks like something you would see on the SCI-Fi channel!! It is pretty short and hard to get your arms around. The branches are low to the ground and easy to climb. I dont clear anything eventhough it is heavy cover. I just wait for the deer to step into a natural lane...

Im also buying a climber this season. I dont like to disturb anything natural. I feel that a deer is smart enough and usually alert enough to notice many things including clearing brush.....

Good Hunting,
Jeramie

[Rhino]

I've been hunting the same tract of land for a long time now. For the stands I hang early, I trim lanes when I hang the stands. That allows me to get out and stay out until I'm ready to hunt them. I usually don't hang stands between Labor Day and the opening day of bow season. I adjust stands or hang other stands during the season and limit any cutting to a bare minimum after the season begins.