Entry/Exit Routes for Whitetails
By Brandt Smith
Picture after picture of big
mature 145-160 class
whitetails. Four of them big
giants to be exact, all on a
160 acre property. From
early August up till
Halloween I was capturing
some amazing pictures on
my Cuddeback trail
cameras. I watched and
waited patiently for the right
wind in early November to
slip in to try and slap my tag
on one of them shooter
bucks I had watched all
throughout the summer and
early fall. With each
passing sit, both morning and evening set ups; I was seeing less and less deer, and never
once laid my eyes on one of those four big shooters.
I remember sitting in my stand on the south end of a large honey locust thicket
with a perfect north wind on my favorite day in the whitetail woods; November 8th. Each
hour passed slower than the last without seeing a single deer. It was nearly noon before I
heard the unmistakeable sound of rustling leaves, and that’s when I seen it. A 3 ½ year
old pushing a young doe in my direction. Suddenly without hesitation the doe stopped in
her tracks, let out a snort , and spun around on a dead run taking the good buck with her.
Coincidentally, the very spot that doe alerted to danger was the same route I took to get to
my treestand that morning…and every morning prior. That very moment I learned a hard
lesson in the hardwoods of Kansas. No matter where you hunt or how many big deer you
have on the land you’re hunting; it is all for not if you don’t properly plan your entry and
exit routes to and from your treestand.
Nearly every whitetail hunter understands the importance of playing the wind and
trying to be as scent free as possible; yet many of us, myself included, over look perhaps
the most important factor to continued success; entry and exit routes. Deer are constantly
scent checking and sniffing around-bucks with their noses to the ground searching for
estrous does; and does meticulously scent checking every few steps for any sign of
danger. First hand I have seen rut crazed bucks cross my wind or entry/exit route and pay
me no mind. Does, however, are a different animal altogether, focused solely on
survival. When you educate the local doe population of your presence, they will vacate
the area without hesitation. No more does means no more bucks, it’s that simple.
Anticipation and excitement will quickly fade to frustration and down right sadness if
precautionary steps aren’t taken for your entry and exit routes.
Each stand set should have a primary use; whether a morning or evening sit.
Before choosing your way in and out you must know when you’re going to be hunting
that particular stand. Generally speaking, most deer are in the agricultural fields
throughout the night, therefore if I am hunting a property in the morning I gain entry to
the stand where deer will least likely sense my presence; preferably utilizing open pasture
ground or perhaps a running creek bed (walking through the water until I get to my
stand). I will avoid the agricultural fields at all costs in the morning because deer are
likely to see and/or smell me. On evening set ups I do the opposite, remembering to
avoid where deer are concentrated and most likely to sense my presence. Open pasture
ground is still an option, just be careful not to be spotted. Preferably, I like a direct route
through a field, putting as little
scent in the woods as possible.
This is also advantageous if
you are planning on hunting a
field sit for the evening hunt. I
will never walk through the
woods I am actively hunting or
cross deer trails throughout the
woods trying to reach my tree
stand or check a trail camera
whether morning or evening.
If this means that I can’t
effectively hunt a particular
property with a specific wind
because I would have to cross
through the woods leaving a
scent trail, then I don’t hunt
that property at that time. Bottom line, if I can’t get in to a set up without educating deer
or minimizing my intrusion, I hunt a different stand set on a different property that is
more advantageous. Keep it simple; minimize your intrusion, resist forcing a bad set and
you will find more deer in front of your wheelhouse…maybe even one of them big
shooters you been watching all summer long. Plan, prepare, execute. Scouting and
proper planning leads to continued success. Hunt hard and good luck!