Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting What favorite tools for clearing trails, shooting lanes and preseason woods tuneup

I’ve got various hand saws, loppers, clippers etc but would love to hear what you’re using to clean things up prior to season opener.

Ive got a new stand going up
But in the process there are some tall weeds that I need to cut a path through but don’t want to fire up the string trimmer. Any ideas?

I like my vintage billhooks!





I do about 90% of the trimming with a plane ol’ pair of heavy duty limb lopping shears. My fav are Fiskars.

Dang KW, those look so cool. TY for sharing the photos

Thanks Jericho, they use em for hedging in England. In the old armies of the day they were issued to the pioneer and sapper battalions.

I love this.

Swedish Wacker

Used it as a land surveyor and now as trail tool.

Assuming you could get access a Tractor and a 5 foot cutter. That’s what we use on anything up to about 3” in diameter. We used to rent one for the weekend and do everything we could in 2 days. Finally bought an old ford tractor with some implements.

I use a Stihl 560 clearing saw. Think of it as weed eater for 3" diameter weeds

Got a 50 horsepower orange friend with a brush hog to mow lanes. If too narrow have some Stihl friends too, pole saw and chain saws.

^^^ That will work

That sounds like the solution I wish I had! I’m about 49 horsepower short lol

Never thought about those! I’ll dig into that idea.

Which works best? I’ve got a machete and it’s great but doesn’t cut the stubble close to ground level like a scythe would - never used one tho.

I use a Ryobi battery chainsaw and Ryobi trimmer with a brush blade attached. I also have the string trimmer head and pole saw head for the trimmer, if needed. Plus really good ratcheting loppers. All of that makes quick work of limbs, bushes, and weeds.

That shorter blade scythe in the middle is a brush scythe, will work better for tall weeds and brushy trails. I have one stashed away, but my Stihl brush cutter is much easier to use! I guess main advantage over power tools is no gas to carry, but you'll need a sharpening stone in your pocket.

Brush hog behind a Ford 2000, chainsaw and machete.

To be honest - it's mostly clearing the fire lanes - in forest trails either stay clear from repeated use or if new ones are being "created" - path of least resistance. I have no fetish about a 100% straight line so bushwhacking isn't high on the list. Go with the flow of natural openings and trim/remove as little as possible.

The ole Echo gave up the ghost two weeks ago. Enter Mr. Stihl.

Linky no worky Tom !

If you have a 4wheeler you can take a heavy duty pallet, throw some weight on it (concrete blocks etc) and drag it around. I hate chiggers, it’s fast and not much elbow grease involved.
I seldom use a brush cutter behind my tractor anymore. Just a couple passes with a disc knocks down the weeds and several passes breaks up the ground good enough to throw seed for a plot.

Amazing how fast deer will come to freshly broke up ground.

You're a Phantom?