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Creating shooting lanes seems to be an easy task… wrong.

You must be strategic while creating your shooting lanes. You cannot just cut any branches off.

A lot goes into creating great shooting lanes that provide a clear shot while also staying concealed from the deer’s sight. I want to help you all, not only create great shooting lanes for your tree stands, ground blinds, and other hunting area.

Two tools that you may need in order to create great shooting lanes for whitetail deer hunting include:

• A hand saw. I recommend SERGEANT Folding Hand Saw on Amazon because it is a good price and comes with a carry case.
• A hatchet. I recommend the BONE FORGE Hatchet on Amazon because it can not only be used as a hatchet but also as a wrench and a hammer.

There are 3 ways that I create great shooting lanes for big bucks after I have properly picked my stand location. How big the lane is, mobility in your stand, and the amount of coverage for your stand sites.

Before we dive into the best way to cut limbs and small twigs, you must know that some states do not allow you to create shooting lanes by cutting branches and limbs on public land. But on private land, you can do whatever is in your best interest to create shot opportunities for yourself.

Identifying whitetail deer traffic

Hunting is a sport filled with so much uncertainty. The biggest buck you have ever seen may just walk right in front of you one day… you never know what is going to happen and that is the name of the game.

At the same time, deer can do whatever they want; nevertheless, you should prepare the best you can to be able to get a good shot. This means identifying where the deer traffic is.

pinch points, food sources, and any other deer movement hot spots can be great places for ambush locations. One common mistake I find whitetail hunters doing is trying to always take the path of least resistance. This can lead to not playing the wind direction which can make a huge difference in a mature buck’s travel pattern.

Once you have picked a great spot for your hunt (link to a post about how to pick great spots). You need to think about what paths the deer are using in all directions around your spot.

Look for heavily beat-down trails, places where deer can sneak in and out without much visibility, and where their easiest escape route would be for the deer.

You should try to get at least one shooting lane in all areas stated above, possibly two on the heavily beaten-down trail. You do not want to create too many shooting lanes so that they can easily pick your movement up.

Shooting Lanes for Whitetail Deer in a Tree Stand

A tree stand is a great way to elevate yourself off the ground to get an advantage on the mature bucks in the area.

A tree stand allows you to be off ground level which makes it harder for them to see you. However, their head can look up so without much cover, you are a sitting duck that will never get a good ethical shot.

Your shooting lanes should be big enough to get about one deer to be visible. If you can try to be covered below and above your small opening. This will break up your body and make it hard for the bigger bucks to decide what a hunter is and what mother nature is.

If you can, create two or three clear lanes in front of you because this will give you a huge advantage to stay well hidden as a deer approaches. Archery hunters shooting lanes should be broken up with enough cover to keep you well camouflaged. It is of utmost importance to stay hidden because if they see you; you likely will not get a shot and not have a good time during your hunting season.

Another consideration would be what way you like to shoot behind you. I personally am a right-handed shooter and like to use my left arm to swing around and shoot behind me.

This is especially important in a ladder stand because your mobility is more limited with the sidebars. You need to be able to shoot in all directions, not just in front of you. Your harness may get in the way a little bit but that is something you will have to figure out once you get into the tree.

Another great way to create cover is to put branches at the base of your tree stand. This will give your feet some more mobility without risking being seen by the deer.

Creating Shooting Lanes for Whitetail Deer on the Ground

If you are going to use a ground blind, then creating shooting lanes will not be nearly as hard. But you are limited to where your shooting lanes are because they are built into the blinds.

You just need to be able to get your shot as far as you need without interference for a successful hunt.

Using Deadfalls on the Ground

My favorite way to hunt the ground is to use natural deadfalls from storms. I do this because they tend to be full of leaves that create the cover for you. The surrounding area also tends to have new growth due to more sunlight exposure. You just need to cut out some shooting lanes in order to get a clean shot in that particular location.

I always like to create four or five lanes that give me shots in all directions.

These deadfalls are easy to create shooting lanes in because the leaves and branches are already dead. All you must do is create small areas that deer are likely to travel through and you will be in serious business.

 Your feet are maybe the most important part of executing a shit without being detected. You will want to get all the leaves near your feet out of the way. This will give you great mobility to move and rotate in any direction. If you make noise, deer will be able to pick you out quickly because you are on their eye level.

Creating Whitetail Deer Shooting Lanes Anywhere

One of the biggest mistakes I have made when creating good shooting lanes is not taking into consideration little details like drawing my bow back.

You want to make sure that you have plenty of room to draw your bow back or shoot your gun comfortably without making noise.

If you are moving and making sounds at the same time, you will be detected in seconds by even young bucks. Even if you can get a shot off, you will be uncomfortable and rushed which is a hard way to get a quality shot opportunity.

So, make sure that you can make every movement to full draw before shooting without any branches or leaves interfering.

Preparing your shooting lanes before the early season even starts is a pretty good idea to be certain that you will be able to stay concealed and still make a shot any time of year.

Doing it before the season starts will allow you to not be stressed during the hunt. Rather, you will be confident and ready to go on every hunt!

I hope this blog post helped you make your shooting lanes better and your confidence rise.

I want you to be successful this season and prepare the right way for gun hunting and bow season. So use these tips as they apply to you and go get that buck!

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Learn, Plan, Execute,

The Whitetail Teacher