How To Create A Deer Travel Corridor

Creating a great deer travel corridor for big bucks takes much more than a chainsaw and a few deer hunting buddies. Would you like to get a big buck to travel right by your favorite treestand setup? Big buck movement can be created when you apply these 6 travel corridor creation steps, to connect bedding areas to food plots, bedding areas to bedding areas and food plots to food plots. Here is how to create an incredibly powerful deer travel corridor for this coming deer hunting season...

[@robertfulton2224]

Thanks Jeff! Another great video. Makes my day when I see another new video from WHS. If you only knew how much you’ve helped my hunting property. Thank you Thank you!!!

[@stefansix4693]

Hey Jeff! Stefan from South Carolina! I’ve been following your videos for 3 years now and just wanted to say thank you for sharing your knowledge of the whitetail woods. I saw one of your videos on buckwheat and I tried it this year and Ive had 3 of the the bucks come back from last year one of which is a big ten point now! Thanks again!

[@paulm9886]

Love the content of this video now that all the modifications are done on my land thanks to hiring the best in the business to coordinate the hinge cutting food plot placement waterholes/mockscrapes soon as the weather breaks will be up cleaning up if need be travel corridors created by hinge cutting to keep them as clean as possible for my pets to roam about also Jeff take every precaution to stay safe being you do lots of traveling these are some crazy times but always keep the FAITH

[@randlerichardson5826]

Makes a lot of sense brother great video to thank you for sharing your videos with us brother I appreciate the knowledge that you share be safe out there and GOD BLESS you and your family Amen 🙏

[@jimmyjames7001]

Another great video! Watching your previous videos I'm excited about doing a food plot in northern Minnesota this year. This may factor into that plan also. Thanks for the excellent videos!

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

That is outstanding to hear Jimmy! Good luck...this stuff is s lot of fun when you can piece it all together correctly 👍

[@markkahler1130]

Hang in there Billy... you get some face time when you bag that # 1 hit list buck! Rooting for ya!

[@lawrencedonna8240]

I have had someone come through my place with a forestry mulcher to make trails through the timber. I was amazed at how quickly the deer started to utilize them.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

That work extremely well!!

[@steve-oi6ul]

Good job Billy!

[@bigcountry6179]

Love this show, huge fan

[@roniler7960]

Hi there,Afternoon sir. Nice video. Thanks for sharing.

[@stevegermain1222]

Watching again great information

[@mytexasseason6036]

Great job Billy. Hope you get a big one this year.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Thank you 😁 Hope that you do too!

[@wallygatorfilmsoutdoors1506]

This is good stuff with the whiteboard!

[@studentoftheoutdoors3348]

Thanks Jeff!

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

For sure, you are very welcome!

[@PT-yk4nt]

Man, I’m glad I watched this video. Going out tomorrow to work on travel corridors. Would have dropped a few trees horizontal to corridor instead of perpendicular. Great video and tips, your a exceptional whitetail everything pro Jeff.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Man that's great to hear Phil...happy that I caught you in time! Thank you and you are welcome 👍

[@rfb7117]

Great info as always. We are going to check our corridors soon and clean them out as it dries up. Thanks for some great ideas!!!

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Thanks a lot Bob! Great to use a DR brush trimmer on those. From experience I bet you find a pile of sheds...

[@rfb7117]

Yes....We found 11 sheds and one mature dead buck so far. Most though are eaten by rodents. Just couldn't get out earlier do to the snow.

[@joshandhuntersadventures5046]

Great info I learn so much from your channel thanks

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Thanks a lot for the feedback, you are very welcome Josh!!

[@williamrutland8097]

Great job Billy!!!!

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Must be the name, ha 👍

[@TheRaghorn]

On our farm I use the brush cut to make the trails to make 15 foot wide, 6 foot high brush piles along the trail. Many times see where the deer bed behind these brush piles as their walking along. Some of these trails can be up to 10 feet wide or only 6 feet wide. We dont have maple or many softwood here. 90% oak trees, and then Buck Thorn and Bush Honeysuckle by the thousands to cut for brush piles.

[@novchild1968]

Great video!

[@dickiegoodtimes]

Awesome info thanks man 🤙

[@user-vv8em5ul5r]

Nice we used to have deer trails like that in the up mi all them trails are growing up with ferns deer don’t hardly run them anymore if they run them now sure would be wolve fouder

[@MDR-hn2yz]

Awesome video. I have an area that holds deer, but it’s so overgrown and nasty it’s impossible to hunt. I’m going to definitely start working on this over the winter and spring.

[@paulcrave3112]

Billy has a real future in the Whitetail industry!

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

It sure looks that way by the drawing 😁

[@theback40]

Nice job Billy! Oh, yeah, you too Jeff....

[@jamesd9439]

I liked cutting mine in the snow so I could see further and hook up from point "A to B".

[@shawnb789]

Thanks Jeff. Great content

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

You are very welcome Shawn...thank YOU!

[@seymourwhitetail4945]

What about Billy?

[@shawnb789]

@@seymourwhitetail4945 oh yeah, thanks Billy. Lol

[@craigsmith7101]

Great topic, I use very similar tactics and they work.

[@DoxieDogman]

Jeff make a dvd of all your videos so i can watch for hours

[@chrismacomber9727]

Another great vid Jeff.. keep it up !!!

[@tomlongacre1384]

I love u man. Hope i hit the lottery

[@jarrodlambert3914]

Nice

[@michaelderks994]

Jeff could you breakdown all the qualities of a high value morning stand and all the qualities of a high quality evening stand in one video?

[@Jeo3-4142]

Hey Jeff. Thanks for another good one. You may have done this, but now that you are using the whiteboard, which is great, BTW, how about reviewing a yearlong management timeline? What management actions to de at what time of year would be a good overview and help. Just a thought. Thanks for all you do for all of us.

[@Sam-rp3tu]

Great idea! I could benefit from a video like that as well

[@dennisb1224]

Nice drawing Jeff, i mean “Billy” lol

[@joshwagner5414]

I’m gonna be hunting a natural funnel for most of the rut

[@scotty5804]

Hey Jeff great video! I'm a huge fan and i think its safe to say you are the best in the business. A little bit off topic but In terms of switchgrass does the no till drill work when your drilling straight into a sod base? like for example if i drilled it into my front yard and sprayed with simazine in march would it be able to establish?

[@markanderson8864]

Jeff...Two things... 1. You do any seminars or field days? 2. You must like to mtb ...looks like some trails near your CV farm and you often reference single track...there are some great trails at a campground outside of viroqua that I want to ride someday

[@ryanneidecker5114]

Thanks Jeff for all the great information. How do I differentiate from a bedding area when creating a travel corridor by hinge cutting. If I hinge cut and want to hunt the travel route, how should I minimize my risk of bumping deer that may be bedding in the hinge cut trees?

[@steveaveryrafteraranch5408]

Great information

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Thanks a lot Steve!

[@steveaveryrafteraranch5408]

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 really want to book you for next year

[@billwenzel2161]

Jeff, I have 80 acres in North Central Wisconsin. I'm bordered by a county highway on my east and south sides. I have a horse hay field to the North. My West line I have a horse hay field on my South 40 and 15 year old aspen cut on North 40. It's basically an island and predominantly aspen. We had about 350 cord of aspen cut in 2009 and just had 450 cord cut this winter. I'm excited for the regen to happen but I'm concerned about how visible the South 40 is from both roads. I knew this was going to happen despite leaving somewhat of a buffer. We had fairly heavy aspen damage due to storms last year so cutting was really my only option. I have a tractor and access to a dozer. My plan is to doze a "road" about 25 yards in from the tree line against the highways. Likely be about 12-16' wide with some curves and jaggedness and plant a switch grass buffer on the road side of this dozed woods road. Do you think the switch will outpace the aspen regrowth? In other words does it pay to try to plant switch as a buffer within a new aspen cut or are there better ways to screen my property for the roads? Thanks in advance.

[@matthewszwagulinski795]

Whitetail institute makes a conceal plot. They will grow to like 8 feet tall and grow very fast. I think this will definitely outpace the aspen regrowth

[@uncannedoutdoors2292]

Not to get off topic but do larger mature bucks choose larger trees to rub...reason I ask this is i have some small maples about 6-8in thick that are shredded, just dont see a smaller buck doing this..but I enjoy your vids, very informal and learn alot

[@arrowflinger66]

Thanks for the video. You mentioned about making corridors through red osier dogwood and not using herbicide. What is the best method for areas like this? My 40 acre lot consist of red osier dogwood thickets, tamarack trees, and small cattail patches. Plenty of cover and deer, just want to know the most effective way to make a corridor in wetter areas like this. Thanks!!

[@randyneufeld8116]

Hey Jeff. Huge fan of your videos. In southern Ontario Canada. Planning for next year already. I have found some natural deer trails/corridors that they are using right now. Nice ridge and view. Problem is getting to the spot. Can you use the same corridor you make for the deer, to get to your stand?

[@racinhunter]

I live in Northeast Missouri mixed ag, pasture, and brush ground. Should you parallel trials with each other so there is not as much pressure on the bucks having to use the same trail as does? Thanks great content

[@chadmirandy1220]

Jeff, It really looks like Billy is standing. You need to talk to him about the need to sit when hunting.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

I think he is really sitting Chad, but Billy had a really tough time drawing a sitting stick figure 😁 Billy may have a better chance at a whitetail career than being an artist, lol

[@brew1799]

Thanks Jeff. I’m located in west central Arkansas and my property is at the bottom of a mountain surrounded by woods. I wanted my travel corridors to double as walking track and a side by side trail in the off season. My understanding is in heavily wooded areas a corridor this wide is acceptable?

[@jamesstewart4966]

I already have a funnell coming to an ag field through some timber but wanted to hinge cut a few trees parallel with a fence to assure they take this funnell. Is this advised.

[@ajkelley20]

I'm new to your channel. I am learning from you everyday. I now own 150 acres of logged over land in Arkansans. It looks like a bomb went off in some places. Tree tops everywhere, still lots of standing trees. It's a mixture of hills and low land. Can I leave the treetops and still cut in a travel corridor? Or is it better to clean up the tree tops which I believe would remove lots of cover

[@markellenberg4111]

Are the loging roads in the big woods of wi a travel corridor? I find scrape lines on a lot of them.

[@brianjonker510]

@7:54 you are detailing the importance of dropping trees perpendicular rather than parallel to the travel corridor. My question is how much diagonal would be OK? Up to 45 with most trees much less?

[@rebouche61]

Please add us in your programmed areas??? Northern Missouri !

[@danielzielinski6410]

My situation would be creating through woods on benches with medium size timber. Wouldnt dropping trees like this also be inviting deer to bed along it? Or is the point to space it out enough to make it not as attractive to bedding?

[@jackswanderings9029]

Is adding clover or winter rye a good idea on a coridor a good idea?

[@douglashardy3408]

Just seeing this in another video i asked about this the 60 acres i hunt is so thick over grown its very difficult to get anywhere what's good time of year to cut out corridors? after i see where there traveling this winter once we get snow how many corridors should be cut? Gonna cut out mini food plots also the 60 acres is only hunted by myself lots of apple trees oak trees swamps was a brook last year but this year was to dry

[@Gendronk]

All your videos are awesome and full of good information. But finding defined travel corridor where deer are few and far between has proven extremely difficult for me. Have good day!

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Hi K...it always begins with quality food...food Plots...on private land. Everything else falls in line with food. A must on private land...hope that makes sense! No quality food...no defined movements.

[@Gendronk]

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 yeah it does make sense I'm on public land in e.u.p. And the deer seem to just feed as they go no real defined feeding locations more like buds and leaves on the go. I thought the acorn crop would of helped but 30 other hunters had same idea so deer only fed at night in that zone.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

@@Gendronk first off...acorns are bad. Find the most diversity in the most remote locations. I stay away from large blocks of hardwoods, and I purely hunt marshes, islands, hardwood edges. You can find those areas really well on an aerial ☺️

[@Gendronk]

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 I'm still trying it's not easy or I suck or both lol regardless I don't quit so I'll continue to hunt and do my best to improve

[@stevebernheisel3781]

Jeff, curious how hills define deer movement? I have a small mostly wooded parcel in southwest Kentucky, lots of hills but deer on my property seem to go along the hillside or up and down even quite steep hills. Please help me to understand what I am overlooking as far as hills defining deer movement.

[@randlerichardson5826]

Hey brother I’m just getting a chance to catch up on your videos I’m going to have my shoulder surgery soon rotator cuff is tore bad and bone spurs and another tendon tore up in my right shoulder been busy with that

[@greatlakespowerstrokefx4]

Jeff, if your land boarders a small lake where you have a large natural clean water source, are water holes a waste of time in the interior of your property?

[@keithderrington7930]

Great info Jeff!! When you have their travel pattern down, should you always put a licking branch by a mock scrape or can you add one to an existing scrape?

[@raeannglessner494]

wow great timing iam working on one right now also thanks for the tip on dropping the trees perpdiucalar to the trail and also what is your opinion on planting on the travel corridor it self mine is going from bed to bed i was thinking maybe winter rye or something hardy

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Great...hope it really helps you out Raeann! I definitely like to keep it unplanted...most of the time. Natural and 2-3' wide. So there is a clear separation between bedding and browse, and then quality food. If you are working on 10 acre micro parcels without larger, all season food sources then I often recommend a little food like clover...but not generally.

[@raeannglessner494]

ok great thanks a milion for the advice and i never miss the videos ill send some buck pictures this fall !!!!

[@eagleeyes5866]

Jeff, should the travel corridor touch the individual clear-cut / screened bedding areas or be downwind a bit, more of a question do you see these as buck and doe travel corridors or sneak trails used by bucks to scent check from down wind

[@ryanzucal]

Jeff, You mentioned that you DON'T want the cuttings to be parallel with your travel corridor so the deer can move left or right out of the corridor. Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of having a corridor then? I would envision hunters using the corridor as an ambush point or a trail to have the deer showing up at the food plot at the same location predictably. Are you giving them escape routes so they feel comfortable using the trail in case they have to escape? Thanks for your insight

[@LemonRiverOutdoors]

Can you use these trails to access your tree stand or do you set up different trails that?

[@josephbennett4442]

Can you do a video on killing spikes because some think they won’t amount to much , would u mind doing a video on it

[@huntermatty33]

If you put a travel corridor through switch grass, should you cut side openings in the grass for lateral movement? Great video once again.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Good question! I don't though...it works perfectly for funneling the deer thru the switch and they can still escape side to side if needed 👍 a lot different when heavy timber...

[@huntermatty33]

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 Thank you!!

[@triforceconstruction3705]

What if both of neighbors in either side have water? I have 20 acres and am making GOOD HEADWAY. But, do I need to put small water pockets? Or will be wasted investment

[@rodolfoochoa3917]

Hi. What about in pine farm How can I do a corridor? Same the oaks Thank you God bless you

[@usncorpsman3934]

You should include the suburban landscape in All your videos my man, there's a lot more deer there than you think 🤔

[@michaelwalter7214]

Is it a Good idea to plant maybe a thin Strip of Clover 🍀 or something Along the Travel Coradors ?? OR NO NOT a good idea . Better off trying to keep bare Dirt ?? I've Noticed deer seem to like to walk on bare Dirt or even Mud . Thank You Jeff . I Look forward to your Answer .

[@joshaklese4969]

Billy got it locked down.

[@sonny0350]

Corridors are cooy

[@sj1roese]

build a travel corridor on an already existing travel corridor...and make sure you put up deer crossing signs...works every time 50% of the time

[@markr.1547]

Good stuff Jeff!.... problem for some is how do you access those stands without spooking deer,and it’s only half of the problem getting to those stands because at some point you have to get out too! I can see where having hills and ridges is a huge bonus huh?

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Hi Mark, thanks! With travel corridors paralelling your borders it makes it easy to get into a stand and out, especially when you aren't entering at a food source. Deer are just traveling by. The travel corridor should represent the outside of the movement...setting up better access on the downwind side. Just a part of the big picture...

[@daltondrouillard9308]

Question, at 15:37 how do you spell the type of brush he's saying? Heave "ague" locations?

[@bradlybrisson5700]

Love the content! Would a thick wall of conifer with spruce needles down to the ground in a remote northern setting be appropriate for a deer travel corridor?

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Hi Bradley...often too thick in big woods or wilderness settings with a lot of predators. Instead, I like hollowing out tunnels thru heavy spruce cover, where deer can still see 30-50' on either side. I hope that makes sense?

[@bradlybrisson5700]

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 absolutely makes sense. thanks!

[@genehalteman882]

Is it ok to access my treestands through my narrow property by using a deep steep ravine that goes up through the middle. Make my improvements on either side of the hollow out of sight of my access or should the center ALWAYS be undisturbed?

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Definately Gene...I do partly the same thing and have had many clients do the same. Basically two halves of the land. Can be GREAT access for you 👍 Great observation!

[@genehalteman882]

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 Ok great! That's going to help me decide where to place my bedding areas and access them without being seen! Plus the thermals will help keep my scent in the bottom on cool mornings.

[@JimmyOOOOO]

Jeff, I understand about cutting perpendicular, but do the tops go towards or away from the corridor?

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Good question Jimmy! Away from the corridor...

[@JimmyOOOOO]

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 thanks a bunch! As somebody who's never done habitat improvements (or any kind of Ag stuff) before, you're videos are really giving me the confidence to give it a try.

[@ericmeier201]

Do water holes work when I have swamp all around my property?

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

They do if the deer are bedding dry and it is dry all the way to their afternoon food source

[@bryanrucker5713]

How do you create these in woods that is all honeysuckle

[@royguidry1311]

Looked through my lifetime of mental notes and realized that nearly every deer trail meandering through the woods passed by the low end of fallen trees and can’t remember seeing a trail blazed down the length of a fallen tree. Of course I would have never paused to think of that until watching this video. Hunting brain stimulation!

[@elimishieldhunt609]

Did Billy put on the CORE Body Foam head to toe before he walked to and climbed in that stand? If not, the corridor is potentially ruined....forever. ; )

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Ha, you know Billy did...seemed like a really smart kid 😁

[@elimishieldhunt609]

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 : )

[@djstl100]

12:14...what do I do if I don't have a town on one side to block deer in...🤣

[@jlinhoff7101]

Anyone else watch these videos to help fall asleep before bed?

[@djstl100]

No..hard working men don't need "help" falling asleep...dam

[@JasonMichaelWilliamsoncountry]

My entire property is a hard sand /caliche top filled with cactus, black brush and mesquite. I have no idea how to make a food plot on rock and what to do with all these bushes that hurt to touch

[@eugenelaky1993]

Spray the brush with crossbow then cut it with a weed eeder with a blade

[@matthewvukelich9504]

What about North Dakota

[@josephbennett4442]

*

[@genehalteman882]

Do you have info on how to seed switchgrass other than frost seeding?

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Sure Gene! kzbin.info/www/bejne/rqKoc2qloamqfNU

[@genehalteman882]

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 thank you!

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

You are very welcome Gene!

[@brittnycalsbeek9816]

This all reminds me of surfing an artificial wave. "build a travel corridor, plant a food plot, put in a watering hole, add a mock scrape...." How about walking into the wild and hunting?

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Some people want to do their best in life...some are content with complacency. This channel is for those that strive to do their best.

[@dougvuillemot8670]

Over hunting your property is one way. Lol they will travel thru at night.

[@mittiejackson8421]

Old time BS