Walking In Question

[JunxMan]

I just bought the property the first of the year and I'm excited to hunt it with my 12 and 14 year olds.
I set up the feeder and box stand a few months ago after careful consideration of where an errant shot might go, sunrise and sunset, wind direction and access to the pasture road.
It was only after it was put in place did I realize that I potentially share the pathway through the creek with deer.

This pic shows the feeder, the blind, and the pasture road. The creek is hard to see, but it runs lower left to upper right.

Should I attempt to make a new trail through the creek for me to use, dissuade deer from sharing the trail with me, or attempt to cover my scent but continue to use the trail, but maybe park the mule further away? Any advice?

[Shane]

If the top of your pic is north, then a southeast (most common) wind may cause you problems more than the trail. How far is it from blind to feeder?

I'd definitely park farther away and walk more too.

[justletmein]

I haven't done the lease game in quite some time, but the last few I was on it seemed that the deer were used to human traffic being around and it was better to spook them with a vehicle than on foot. If we walked in they'd spook hard, if we drove in they'd step off into the brush or slowly trot to safety and come back out later. For this reason I might recommend riding an ATV/UTV in and parking it hidden in the brush near your box blind, assuming the brush allows. They're going to hear you ride/drive up to that parking spot anyway, may as well take it all the way in.

[JunxMan]

The stand to the feeder is exactly 100 yards and it's on a 8ft platform. The walk from the parking spot to the stand is about 280ft. Yes, true north is straight up, but being the new owner to this place, I don't yet know if the wind is from the SE or SW; I'm used to the SW. I found a thinner spot in the creek further to the west that could involve parking the UTV there, but it's pure south of the feeder, and likely to continue to blow scent towards the feeder the whole time it's parked.

[Chance Love]

What part of Texas? That should tell you what your prevailing wind will be.

If we parked less than 100 yards from a stand, we wouldn't see a single deer. But I've been on other places where you can park under the blind and it wouldn't matter.

[JunxMan]

Roughly Jacksboro. I've parked far away when hunting thin brush and they saw it and just were nervous. I've parked close in thick brush and as long as the wind didn't carry the scent to them, it was fine.

[piercebronkite]

Just looking purely at the topography of the map it appears animals may use that drainage/creek as a trail. To me it seems that the feeder and blind should be switched. Just purely my observation from looking at the map. However, Im not sure on the feasibility of the access points.

[dustoffer]

Been hunting in Guadalupe and Gonzales counties for about 20 years and by far, the winds are from the SE. Now, as I’ve typed that, the winds have been from the NE for the past week or two.

[dirtybay]

Scout their trails and adjust if needed. May not be a problem depending on their usual direction through that area.

[Txhunter3000]

How big of a place and how well do you know your neighbors?

[M16]

I park under a stand or as close as possible. If it’s a deer I want to kill. It will be dead before it notices the vehicle.

[JunxMan]

Swapping the feeder and the stand would result in me shooting back towards the cabin. Although quite a ways away, through the trees, and slightly uphill, but I don't want to take any chances. I know some neighbors well, but one to the West has his placed leased out to guys that (I'm told) really enjoy pulling the trigger!! 200 acres overall and I've got 2 stands/feeders set up. I think I need to cut a new trail........

[JunxMan]

There's a tank going in to the south of the creek, so maybe safer to shoot into the dam of that next season. Good idea GS!