The Path to Success: Why Multiple Access Routes to Your Hunting Stand Matter
One of the most overlooked aspects of successful hunting isn’t your weapon, your stand, or your camouflage—it’s how you get in and out of your hunting spot. Developing multiple ingress (entry) and egress (exit) routes to your hunting stands and across your property is a critical piece of the puzzle that can make or break your chances of harvesting mature game animals.
Whether you’re hunting pressured public land or a carefully managed private parcel, minimizing disturbance and staying undetected is key. Let’s break down why having more than one access route is essential to increasing your odds in the stand.
- Stealth Equals Success
Mature bucks and other wary game don’t become wise by accident. They are masters at detecting danger, especially from unnatural movement, noise, and scent. Entering and exiting your hunting stand the same way every time educates deer quickly, and your presence becomes predictable.
Multiple access routes allow you to:
- Avoid known bedding areas and travel corridors
- Minimize your scent trail based on wind direction
- Approach your stand silently using terrain, vegetation, or water
- Reduce pressure and alerting the game you’re targeting
- Wind and Weather Adaptability
No two hunting days are the same. Wind direction and speed, ground moisture, visibility, and temperature all impact how you should approach your stand. A single access route might work well for a north wind, but it could blow your scent directly into a bedding area on a south wind.
Benefits of route variety:
- Adjust your approach to match optimal wind and thermals
- Safely reach your stand without contaminating key zones
- Avoid wet or loud areas after rain or frost
- Low Impact Hunting
Success in the stand often comes down to the first few sits. Repeatedly using the same trail can cause:
- Ground scent build-up
- Trampled vegetation and visible paths
- Game animals patterning your movements
By rotating your access based on conditions, you reduce impact and maintain the element of surprise over time.
- Safe and Efficient Exits
Exiting your stand is just as important as entering. Spooking deer on your way out after dark can have lasting effects on your hunting area. A quiet, undetected exit helps preserve the integrity of a stand location for future hunts.
Multiple exit routes help you:
- Leave without disturbing nearby feeding or bedding areas
- Avoid bumping deer you didn’t see during the hunt
- Stay hidden even during low light or night-time departures
- Emergency and Safety Considerations
From unexpected weather changes to tracking a wounded animal, having alternative routes provides a margin of safety and flexibility.
Strategic benefits include:
- Alternate paths to recover game based on blood trail direction
- Backup access if your primary route is blocked or compromised
- Safe escape routes in case of injury, weather, or emergency
- Property-Wide Strategic Movement
When managing a larger recreational property, having multiple routes to each stand allows you to hunt different areas without over-pressuring others. It also aids in trail camera placement, food plot maintenance, and scouting without disrupting nearby hunting zones.
Tactical movement across your land helps you:
- Hunt multiple stands on a rotation
- Maintain low human presence
- Control pressure zones more effectively
Conclusion: Don’t Just Hunt Smarter—Access Smarter
A well-placed stand is only as good as your ability to reach it undetected. By investing time in clearing or scouting multiple ingress and egress routes, you protect your hunt site, avoid tipping off game, and greatly increase your odds of success.
Remember: Mature bucks aren’t just avoiding hunters—they’re avoiding predictable hunters. The more options you have to move through your property discreetly and strategically, the more likely you are to fill your tag and preserve your hunting area for the long season ahead.
If you are needing help in creating these ingress and egress routes on your property, give Rooted Land Management a call at 256-684-1645 or email them at info@rootedlandmgt.com.
Brady Willcutt
Owner
Rooted Land Management