#2088535 - 09/27/10 06:51 PM
The Thicket
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Poser
14 Point
Registered: 07/28/10
Posts: 8118
Loc: Tennessee
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With the tightly planted feed corn still standing and the field edges overgrown to well over 6 feet, I had to approach my area through the woods. It was a 1.4 mile hike with the turns following overgrown hedge rows and thickets that I made 4 times, round trip this weekend. It took me an hour in the daylight and longer in the dark. On opening morning, it took me 1.5 hour to find my way.
1/4 mile of the approach was this nasty thicket that would have made a Texan proud:
What you see above is the beginning of the thicket, with the hole in the middle being the "trail." Per usual thicket, there were a number of game trails, many of them dead ends or blocked with impassable deadfall. -lots of crawling and getting my hat ripped off. Knowing what I was facing each time, I just "dived" in there and moved as fast and as agressive as possible. The thicket was a good half mile from the area I was hunting, so I wasn't concerned with leaving scent along the way. I don't think I could have managed to have gotten a deer out of the woods, so I resisted shooting any of the numerous does I saw.
All in all, it was a great weekend with over a dozen deer sightings, no blowing despite some semi-compromising winds (hello, scent control), great weather and enjoyable time in the woods. The approaches whipped me pretty hard physically, but that's a good way, mentally and physically, to start a long season. Also, I was able to thoroughly scout the property line for turkey season.
I hope to get back to this area in early November. With the corn down, I'll be able to knock the approach out in less than 30 minutes. Might even bring a mountain bike and do it in 10 minutes. -sure won't miss the thicket!
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It doesn't have to be fun to be fun. Wild & crazy, can't be stopped. Only the strong will survive. Keep your knife sharp and your skillet greasy. http://www.GoCarnivore.com
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#2088556 - 09/27/10 07:13 PM
Re: The Thicket
[Re: Poser]
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Twitch
8 Point
Registered: 11/27/08
Posts: 2232
Loc: Knox
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Thats some nasty looking stuff right there....
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#2088568 - 09/27/10 07:22 PM
Re: The Thicket
[Re: Poser]
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redcorn
4 Point
Registered: 09/07/06
Posts: 252
Loc: Chattanooga, TN.
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Navigating through those narrow thicket trails will really make you appreciate how nimble deer are, and how ungainly we are. I wonder if the ones with large headgear ever have difficulty.
I'd say a hike in like that would make anyone selective. Maybe you should get one of those deer carts, though I doubt one would roll through that stuff in the picture.
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#2088585 - 09/27/10 07:29 PM
Re: The Thicket
[Re: redcorn]
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Poser
14 Point
Registered: 07/28/10
Posts: 8118
Loc: Tennessee
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I have and use a deer cart, but no way I could have used it in there -way too much deadfall.
I, too often wonder about bucks running through thickets. It surprising how fast they move in there without poking their eyes out!
_________________________
It doesn't have to be fun to be fun. Wild & crazy, can't be stopped. Only the strong will survive. Keep your knife sharp and your skillet greasy. http://www.GoCarnivore.com
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#2088778 - 09/27/10 08:42 PM
Re: The Thicket
[Re: Poser]
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Bone Collector
12 Point
Registered: 09/09/09
Posts: 6112
Loc: Murfreesboro, TN
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Last season, i was hunting a corn field that was standing. the farmer waited until the opening weekend of ML to cut it. Just a heads up. Sometimes i take my boat out of Jefferson springs and as the leaves fall i will be able to see if he has cut or not. I will let you know when he does if i see it.
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#2088789 - 09/27/10 08:46 PM
Re: The Thicket
[Re: Poser]
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Boone 58
16 Point
Registered: 06/23/04
Posts: 13533
Loc: Food Plot
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Were you totally broken out in sweat?....i would have been.
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#2088838 - 09/27/10 09:03 PM
Re: The Thicket
[Re: Boone 58]
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ruger7mag
6 Point
Registered: 12/21/08
Posts: 536
Loc: tn
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Were you not able to clear out a small path over the summer or last spring ?
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#2088866 - 09/27/10 09:17 PM
Re: The Thicket
[Re: Boone 58]
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Poser
14 Point
Registered: 07/28/10
Posts: 8118
Loc: Tennessee
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Were you totally broken out in sweat?....i would have been.
The weather was fairly mild. I did sweat some, though. I wore just a base layer shirt on the first 3/4 of the approach. After I got out of the thicket and within a quater mile of my area, I put on a Scent Lock top and full head cover. Once I got settled in my stand, I changed base layer shirts, used some field wipes real quick, and put the sweaty shirt in a zip lock.
_________________________
It doesn't have to be fun to be fun. Wild & crazy, can't be stopped. Only the strong will survive. Keep your knife sharp and your skillet greasy. http://www.GoCarnivore.com
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#2088892 - 09/27/10 09:31 PM
Re: The Thicket
[Re: ruger7mag]
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Poser
14 Point
Registered: 07/28/10
Posts: 8118
Loc: Tennessee
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Were you not able to clear out a small path over the summer or last spring ?
I first scouted the area and selected stand locations during turkey season. I came back once in late august to check on them and clear out as needed and had to navigate the thicket. I assumed the corn would be down by bow season, as much of the corn is the area is, so I didn't expect to have to go through there again. When I decided I was going to hunt there opening weekend and found out the corn was still up, I decided just to suck it up. Difficulty of approach on public land ensures you are alone, even if the recovery is brutal. Most hunters won't walk more than 1/2 mile and quite a few tend to stick to field edges or close to roads, paths and obvious trails. If you add a natural barrier to any distance beyond 1/2 mile (thicket, water, steep hill etc), you'll usually be alone.
Be the first to arrive, the last to leave, go hard and go deep.
_________________________
It doesn't have to be fun to be fun. Wild & crazy, can't be stopped. Only the strong will survive. Keep your knife sharp and your skillet greasy. http://www.GoCarnivore.com
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#2088919 - 09/27/10 09:43 PM
Re: The Thicket
[Re: Poser]
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ruger7mag
6 Point
Registered: 12/21/08
Posts: 536
Loc: tn
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I did not know it was public land or I missed you saying it. I don't blame you for not clearing out a path now that I know that.
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