DIY ATV leaf rake or drag

[JCDEERMAN]

One of the challenges we face each year is spooking deer coming in and out of the woods. Due to terrain and access, we are limited to traveling mostly on ridge tops. Early in the mornings when it is calm and quiet, we can hear each other walking through the leaves on our logging roads on top of the ridges from the next ridge over - so I know the deer can. We usually try to bush-hog these roads, as the circular motion of the blades create a dirt path and chops up the leaves. I have also taken a backpack blower to them, but we have 3 miles of roads :shock: .

Does anyone have a homemade atv rake or drag they have made that works well? When looking at the ones being manufactured, they are all $350 plus.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Bucket]

That's why Grant Woods thinks it is better to take a vehicle as close to your stand as possible, if the area is frequented by vehicle traffic already. Unless people are shooting from vehicles, deer don't seem to associate them with danger like they do a human walking through the woods.

https://www.growingdeer.tv/#/how-to-get ... ing-busted

 

[FourWFarm]

I have used my zero turn lawn mower to help with the leaves. Even thru the woods, once the trail was cleared, it seemed to let them blow off and stayed cleaner than I really expected.

 

[chris1976]

We have the same issues you do. This year we are dropping everyone off at their stands via utv. I definitely think it will help.


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[MickThompson]

Leaf blower?

 

[RS]

I have cut a cedar tree in the past and tied it to the back of the 4 wheeler and drug it along the old logging roads to remove leaves. Depending on the amount of leaf litter, it may take several passes.

 

[MAGA]

Walk in grunting and rattling.

 

[MUP]

I'd hate to know that I had to try and clear the woods out to every one of my stands, and then keep them cleared! :shock:

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I have used my zero turn lawn mower to help with the leaves. Even thru the woods, once the trail was cleared, it seemed to let them blow off and stayed cleaner than I really expected.

HA I have an old lawn mower and thought about getting it rigged up for this

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I have cut a cedar tree in the past and tied it to the back of the 4 wheeler and drug it along the old logging roads to remove leaves. Depending on the amount of leaf litter, it may take several passes.

I have tried this and it works well. It might be the best option.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I'd hate to know that I had to try and clear the woods out to every one of my stands, and then keep them cleared! :shock:

I know right? This is just for our main roads. Trails off of these main roads are typically cleared by backpack blower. They get you 75% of the way to your stand

Seems like alot, but I continue to be amazed how close deer will let you walk right past them when it is dark and you aren't sounding like bigfoot going through there

 

[MUP]

I'd hate to know that I had to try and clear the woods out to every one of my stands, and then keep them cleared! :shock:

I know right? This is just for our main roads. Trails off of these main roads are typically cleared by backpack blower. They get you 75% of the way to your stand

Seems like alot, but I continue to be amazed how close deer will let you walk right past them when it is dark and you aren't sounding like bigfoot going through there

I believe it. I have old stagecoach and logging roads on my place and I will now drive fairly close to where I'm going to hunt anymore, at least within 150-200 yds of my stand locs in most cases. I remember once coasting down a steep firelane off a ridge on my 4 wheeler, and I stopped on a flat to observe, once I stopped, tails went everywhere off to the side of me! They were just hanging out I reckon, until I stopped by them, and then they skidaddled!

 

[Omega]

Make a drag harrow from a section of chain link fence, this pics are not mine but good representation. Cut a and bend down in a few places to simulate the commercially available drags. I cut in the middle as shown in the pic (top shown), then bent the two pieces down to form a scarifying surface. You can forgo this if the road is decently maintained by other means, or cut closer to the twist to form longer "fingers". Just be sure to cut and bent to continue in the direction of the twist so it won't unravel during use. More weight can be added in the back and middle if it doesn't dig in like you want/need.

 

[Hunter 257W]

I found a leaf rake from Guide Gear sold through Amazon for $129.99. Would be hard to beat that by a huge amount even if you build it yourself.

Go to AMAZON and search for "Guide Gear ATV UTV Landscape Rake, 60""

 

[Ladys man]

I have used my zero turn lawn mower to help with the leaves. Even thru the woods, once the trail was cleared, it seemed to let them blow off and stayed cleaner than I really expected.

HA I have an old lawn mower and thought about getting it rigged up for this

A guy I used to lease from did this exact thing

 

[Hillbilly Hunter]

We have the same issues you do. This year we are dropping everyone off at their stands via utv. I definitely think it will help.


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It will not. The same leaves will be crunched by the atv plus engine noise.

 

[chris1976]

We have the same issues you do. This year we are dropping everyone off at their stands via utv. I definitely think it will help.


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It will not. The same leaves will be crunched by the atv plus engine noise.

I beg to differ. The deer on our place are conditioned to the Kubota side by side. I have made it a point in the last two years to ride the main road and visit each one of our stands at a minimum of 3 times a week. I do not get off or walk around. I don't stop but for a few seconds at each location. They hear and see it all the time and will not spook from it the same way they would from human interaction. It will completely eliminate human scent on the ground and it makes it real easy getting to the stand. I also park and leave the side by side at different locations for a couple days at a time and then move it. So far this is proving to be a solid strategy [emoji1303]


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[JCDEERMAN]

We have the same issues you do. This year we are dropping everyone off at their stands via utv. I definitely think it will help.


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It will not. The same leaves will be crunched by the atv plus engine noise.

I beg to differ. The deer on our place are conditioned to the Kubota side by side. I have made it a point in the last two years to ride the main road and visit each one of our stands at a minimum of 3 times a week. I do not get off or walk around. I don't stop but for a few seconds at each location. They hear and see it all the time and will not spook from it the same way they would from human interaction. It will completely eliminate human scent on the ground and it makes it real easy getting to the stand. I also park and leave the side by side at different locations for a couple days at a time and then move it. So far this is proving to be a solid strategy [emoji1303]


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I wish we had the time to condition the deer at our place. I was hunting a field one evening 1/4 mile from our cabin and had deer in the field I was in. I called a buddy to come get me on a 4-wheeler instead of me giving away my stand location. Those deer took off like the sky was falling the second he fired up the wheeler. Our neighbors must shoot at them off of wheelers.