Hello all. Last year our lease had a huge acorn drop and no deer went to feeders. Well I got to thinking and I decided I was going to hunt trails if the feeders weren't producing. Can yall help me with how to do that? Should I just follow the trail until I run into deer sign and oak trees or what? This is my second year bow hunting so I would really like to increase my chances this year! I could use any and all help givin!

Why don't you move your feeder close to the trail you wanna hunt? Best of both worlds.

Well Im 16 and I should have stated that so I don't really have control of what goes on. If I could I would.

Im just looking for tips on how to hunt the deer trails. Ive never done anything like that before.

find a well used deer trail and set up 15-20 yards off the trail

didn't say where you are hunting but try and find an area where you can have a good field of view so you can have time to wait for a good shot

Watch for splits in the trail. If you see one that splits into 2-3 different trails, that's a good indicator that its a well traveled path for deer (possibly more than one). I tend to find those right on edges of field/tree-lines. Set up 15-20 yards away.

Another tip- avoid walking on the trails and scope them out midday- less chance of spooking deer that may be on the trail.

Well I was going to scout from our oat field because that's where I feel we get the most deer. I was going to scout them out this weekend while dove hunting. Because we have a very thick area between our oat field and another blind/feeder. I was going to follow those trails back till I find a nice spot. Oh and when looking for a tree to put a stand in, what are the good qualities of one? I have never really been in a tree just tripods!

and pour out some corn or attractant around you in a few spots, it may help slow them down and stop them for a shot.

Good for you for following the deer away from the feeder and into the woods!

What kind of stand are you using - ladder, hang-on, or climber? Climbers require you to find a tree with very specific criteria (read: one that looks like a bare telephone pole), whereas you've got a lot more options if ladder or hang-on.

I just went scouting yesterday and here's what I did generally:
- Find desirable trail / convergence of trails
- Find open-ish area along the trail where you'll have a decent view
- Find several trees within ~15-25 yards of trail
- Stand at the base of each and envision shooting lanes to the trail - pick the one with the best vantage and shot opportunities
- Consider good and bad wind directions for that stand and reevaluate if necessary
- Envision yourself ~18 feet up the selected tree and cut away any brush blocking your shooting lanes to the trail from that angle

Another consideration: deer walk/browse on trails, and mostly stand around at feeders. There is a good chance things will happen fast and you'll have a moving shot - mentally prepare yourself for this.

I just spent the weekend searching our place for a few new spots and here are some other things to keep in mind that haven't been mentioned. Pay attention to the direction the tree is facing to try to eliminate having to look directly in the sun in the AM or PM. Also, direct sunlight in the PM makes for a hot stand during bow season and early in November. Also, plan on predominant wind direction. You want the wind blowing from the trail (both where its coming from and where its going to) toward your stand. If the wind is wrong you won't see much. I also try to make it so that the animals traveling down the trail are not looking directly at my stand. It will make drawing your bow much easier and it will let you get away with some fidgets.

As others said, throw out a bit of corn every time you come to the stand so the deer will stop.

Never set up directly on the trail, set up 30-40 yards off. Look for the pinch points (where all the trailers merge do to obstacles mother nature put in place: ridge, thick brush, creek, decress in cover etc.

Set two stand one for a north wind one for a south wind.

Use your grunt call to bring them in closer.

Good luck

I rarely hunt over a feeder. So far good info given above. Find a place where two or more trails cross or split. Another thing to look for is a funnel, something that will cause the deer to travel through a corridor. This can be caused by geography (A bluff, draw or saddle, or a lake, or road. Or it can be caused by a low spot in a fenceline. I think a funnel is as imprtant as finding a good trail.
Another good option is to find an oak flat and hunt the oaks. Just like hunting a feeder, except it is nature's feeder.
After the bucks start to rub, find a rubline or scrape, and that will give you a good idea of where the deer are, too.

Ok thanks everyone! This thread has really increased my knowledge in this! I will let yall know how it goes this weekend!

In Oklahoma I hunt the trails every time; I stop deer in their tracks with some horse and mule sweet feed. Works like a champ and cheap too.

I like hunting natural pinch points, which are places that force the deer traveling that area to come by you. One of my favorite places to hunt is a crossing on a creek. It is the easiest place for the deer to cross the creek and it funnels deer by me from one bedding area to the other.

In Missouri that's the only way you can bowhunt. During rifle season you may shoot one 200 yards out in bean field chasing a doe but with a bow it's trails in funnels, benches and natural crossings in ditches and creeks.