Who starts right after deer season to trim and clear shooting lanes.Trying to get a jumpstart as to not make big a disturbance in late summer. Plus beat the deep south summer heat.
Also, my way of thinking is trimming the undesirable branches, vines, cedars and such. Will allowed new tender growth.
I have my stand about 50 yards next to a creek. I'm lightly clearing a lane,not necessary a shooting lane, but more of
an obsevation to what is walking parallel along the creek. My food plot also runs parrallel to the creek.
Also, using the cut branches and small trees as a barrier and guide to funnel them.
I also will be providing a mineral site close , but not close to the creek. Mid August, the feeders will be up in running.
I took several deer from my spot, but, the way the plot looked the other day. There isn't a shortage of deer.
My bio-rock is completely gone. It was there a month ago.
So, when do you start prepping?
Sarge

Post season. Best time.

Around here a lot of things are seasonal: there are certain times that are best to deal with specific invasives. Oaks can generally only be cut at a certain time. I don't know if you have that issue. Surely nothing wrong with starting as soon as you can now after the season. In fact many trees are best to be trimmed while dormant.

If your cutting alot now , if not I don't think it matters a whole lot.

I’m in the woods year round. I’m always scouting. The time between the end of deer season and spring green up is my favorite time to scout. For those who get snow, I’ll walk all day several days after a snowfall. As far as trimming lanes, I used to trim early spring. Then one year we had a wet spring and my trimmed lanes grew in. Now some places I can still get away with a winter/spring trimming. Some of my lanes get trimmed in July. It’s hot and buggy, but my lanes are open for archery season

Unless you do some serious pruning, you’ll still have to do it prior to season. Right now there are no leaves. Come hunting season there will be. I’ve tried it before, lol. Still had to trim.

I only trim enough to get the stand in the tree. I dont trim shooting lanes really at all. I just use the natural shooting lanes. The only trimming I do once a stand site is established is to remove any new growth from the tree the stand is in if it interferes with me standing up or drawing my bow.

You must hunt in some open areas, lol. Down here a lot of times you’re above the leaf line and you might as well not take a bow or gun. Unless they’re walking dead under you, and I don’t like those shots.

Early summer...stand prep also

Right on!

I've cut great lanes in the late winter thinking all good only to climb in a stand in Oct and seeing multiple twigs/branches that grew in the summer..but yes, I enjoy doing lane clearing in late winter when the temps get nice to just "be out there:
I go back in mid summer to prune things again.
I like to bowhunt thick cover.

The woods we hunt used to be really open hardwoods creek bottom with some thick young pine bedding areas. In the last 10 years all the hardwoods have been logged and the ash borer took out all of the reamining ash. It is starting to get thick at ground level but from 15 feet up it still fairly open. But evem of it was thicker I still trim very litle.

I used to do it right after huntig season cause it was still fresh in my mind after sitting and planning my next years hunt takes up my time while seeing nothing Plus if not done right away it falls into the do it later category which is very close to the do it next year category
Now it falls into the things i used to do category