Ethical or not

[Savage]

On one particular piece of property with a really brushy oak flat, a frien of mine suggested walking thru next summer with a mild dose of roundup in a backpack sprayer. This would burn the foliage and basically create a trail for the deer to use. What are your thoughts? Rob ate land and he owner is fine with it btw.

 

[cfmartin1833]

Sounds like managing the property to me. If the land owner is ok with it. I wouldn't see anything g wrong with it.

 

[Boll Weevil]

Sounds like managing the property to me. If the land owner is ok with it. I wouldn't see anything g wrong with it.

Agree with this ^

 

[bowriter]

Good idea except the roundup is only temporary. The foliage will grow back.

 

[nate17]

yep i dont think this is a question of ethics here.. spray away

 

[BigD_625]

I know lots of folks that cut trails with pruners. You're just saving yourself some time and blisters. Keep in mind weed killer is expensive and how much it takes to be effective. Either way, good luck.

 

[hunterncoach]

just fine....good idea actually

 

[lpo1981]

Buy and old cheap push mower and cut a trail thru there! Probably a lot cheapr than round up would be.

 

[TJS209]

Good idea except the roundup is only temporary. The foliage will grow back.

yep

 

[bigtex]

I regularly keep trails open through an old clear cut. Deer like to go the path of least resistance. I see nothing unethical about it. It's just manipulating the habitat a bit.

 

[oldmanelrod]

It's okay. No different than sweeping a trail or cutting a path.

 

[Bone Collector]

if you cut it they will come.....

 

[Savage]

That last sentence was suppose to say btw the landowner is fine with it

 

[Chaneylake]

Good idea except the roundup is only temporary. The foliage will grow back.

my experience at Chaney has shown me it does not grow back, I do this on many of the trails there to keep everything pruned back the height of a vehicle, it works great for me

I have also sprayed trees along a levee at my house and the part of the tree that I sprayed has never grown back, seems kinds weird to me

 

[Pic IN the Casa]

Sounds like managing the property to me. If the land owner is ok with it. I wouldn't see anything g wrong with it.

Same here. After reading an article about creating paths to fields I took a push mower and weedeater back into the woods to a clearing and mowed a nice 35 yard lane. Looked like a path on a Greenway trail when I got done but the deer used it like clockwork.

I would suggest weedeating it down then spraying it.

 

[Hunter 257W]

I did the same a few years back to make a trail to my trail camera so I could check it more easily. Unfortunately, it directed some thieves to my camera, a feeder and a ladder stand.

But as for the ethics, a lot of guys are piling tree tops or pushing the top wire of a fence(only on your OWN land obviously) down to direct where deer travel. I see nothing wrong with that. Deer are much like cows in that they will take the easist path to walk. I noticed recently that they have started using the wheel rut where I drove through my No Plow food plot a litle early - just 1 time - with my truck and killed the NO Plow. The fact that it's easier to wak on that tire width strip of bare dirt has directed many deer to use that path.

If you want the path to last into Fall you might want to use a Brush Killer instead of RoundUp. It will definitely last longer and kill the 'woody' plants in addition to the weeds.

 

[Football Hunter]

I regularly keep trails open through an old clear cut. Deer like to go the path of least resistance. I see nothing unethical about it. It's just manipulating the habitat a bit.

yep