Ok, I have an idea. Tell me if I’m crazy or not. We have a clear cut on my club where the grass and such is about shoulder high, but the trees aren’t very big. With the grass being so tall, I don’t believe you could see a deer move through it. We have a shooting house on the hill and I thought of opening up three lanes in front of house using a weedeater. Think this is possible, or will I kill myself trying and not accomplish anything? Fire would work best, but Westervelt so we can’t burn

I wouldn't use a weed eater for sure, but I have used a bush hog to open lanes between trees. I know a guy that used an ATV with a small set of discs to make lanes.

Usually can make lanes by just driving over with 4 wheeler.

Just take the tractor and bushhog in there and do it just cut it high so the deer still feel like they are in cover

4 foot bush hog

I’ve use a weed eater with a brush blade many times.

How good of shape you in. Weed eater may kill ya. Dead grass stalks are harder to cut than green ones.

I’ve done it several times just ride it down with a 4 wheeler.

After you mow it or ride it down - May be some good hunting - especially if you can get some length to your lanes

U prob about die completing it w the weed eater

I've made lanes by riding it down with a 4 wheeler or my side by side. I've also pulled my chain link fence drag behind them and that worked well.

Keep em coming. May try the 4 wheeler method

Oh, and as far as what kind of shape I’m in, not nearly as good as I was 2 years ago when I ran 3 spartan races in a year, 😂

I'm going to take a wild guess and say he doesn't have a 75hp tractor parked in the barn if he's discussing using a weedeater to clear shooting lanes



I think a few hours of work can get you some results with some hand tools.

Nailed it just trying to see if I can make this spot hunt able. It looks great. Hunted it one morning and saw three deer in the wood line past the cut. Just wondering what may be moving through that I am missing seeing

That’s what climbing stands and tall arse ladders are for. It will start laying down with all the frost we’ve had. You can see deer in it fine, just get elevated.

This. You don't have to mow lanes all the way to the stand. Start 100 yards out and clear a few lanes 50-100 yards long.

Also might try spraying a 1 oz gly solution in spring and summer to keep brush down.

Not the best idea. Gly will kill the planted pines that are currently hiding in there. Risky and good way to get sideways with the timber company.

You can rent a billy goat mower for the weekend I think and it should do well. Basically a walk behind self propelling 24” bush hog

I have an area of about 6 acres that is two year old cutover. Shooting house is uphill from it and it leads down to an SMZ. I’m leaving this to naturally regenerate. I’m using a wheeled line trimmer (DR) after I walk through with a brush blade on my weed eater.lm pleased with the results. I have a “wagon wheel” design with four trails about five feet wide, each one is 60-100 yards in length. The shooting house is easy to access quietly and the slope faces east and gets the early morning sun. I have another area not accessible with a tractor that we carried it into (52 lbs I think) , widened an old log road, then carried a garden tiler in after a rain, loosened the soil and planted a lane of wildlife mix, added more clover and let the rain cover it, it’s beautiful! I probably spent 45 minutes on each lane, not near as difficult as it might seem. I’m 74 and managed without any problem, the machine is a real tiger. Sitting in the shooting house is a command seat of the area, and of course, there’s corn in every lane which the turkeys are also enjoying.Turkeys wouldn’t have used this area at all if I hadn’t put in the lanes. Likely will widened them next year. I strongly recommend your approach if you can put the shooting house in a good spot windwise.

Billy goat mower is the ticket.