Deer usually have an unhurried preference for going around or under obstacles rather than over them. A smart hunter will use this information to help them find where deer are likely to appear.
If there is an old stone wall for instance, deer will prefer to cross where an old gate once was or stones have fallen down. They will jump a fence, but would much rather step over it where a tree has fallen or go under where it crosses a gully. Rather than leap over a fresh blowdown, a deer will almost always go around it.
Natural topography will also cause a deer to take the easier route. Rather than climb a steep slope, a deer would much rather find the saddle or gentler slope that leads to the same place.
Use a deer’s tendency for laziness to make placing your tree stand that much easier.
By Larry Whiteley, Host of the award winning
Outdoor World Radio
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