Hunting a recently logged area

[John Krause]

I might have the opportunity to hunt a newly logged area and wonder how the hunting is going to be and hopefully improve over the next several years.  The land is south central Missouri, rocky up and down oak and hickory mostly. No agriculture just a few pastures on surrounding properties. It was logged in Aug 07 and they took everything 18" and up that was straight.

There are tops down everywhere but still alot of trees up that didn't make the cut (pun intended   )

How will the hunting be and any good advice on how to hunt and what I can expect as the years go by.

Anybody out there hunt thru one of their spots logged and then coming back over several years?

Thanks

[Benha]

Happened on a family farm. Hunting was awesome within a couple of years of the logging.

[bentpole]

The deer will be there as soon as your weather breaks eating all the new growth and they should be doing that next season . You'll see when the weeds take over the field the area will probably turn into a bedding ares.

[John Krause]

Timberhawkguy Tell me more.....Hiw did it get better?

[John Krause]

For more info this is 160 acres with an adjoining 70 acres or so that got logged at the same time.

[ishiwannabe]

I hunt right behind my house, and that lot was logged about ten years ago. A lot of browse, security in the piles and brush. I lucked out and have a small pong nearby too.
Those deer will be hitting it like crazy. New browse....easier to find mast crops...secure bedding areas...find some funnels...Good luck.

[Jim Picarelli]

I used to hunt a tree farm the local paper mill owned. This place was incredible!. One year they logged out all the hardwoods along a creek bottom and about 100 acres of pines. When they were done,it looked like a war zone. I thought the hunting isn't gonna be too good anymore. The following fall I went back and it was nothing short of amazing!! The deer were everywhere-especially in the tops the loggers left lay. New growth was up and the deer were on that too. I wish i could still hunt tht place.

[vermonster13]

Yup, it's going to get good there so long as you don't get heavy spring rains and a lot of erosian. Sounds like that shouldn't be a problem with the trees they left. Find the new green stuff and the better tops and get ready for action.

[Stone Knife]

When the under growth gets thick it's like a deer magnet. before the tops start to rot they will help funnel the deer i like a woods that is logged on a regular basis.

[bowfiend]

My experience in the cuts has been good as well. I actually guided my dad to a shot at the biggest mulie I've ever seen in a 2-yr old cut. He missed low - shot right between the legs.

They'll be no shortage of deer for you, unless somebody does something to spook them out.

[gregg dudley]

It is going to be great for the next 4-6 years.  What happens after that will be determined by how they replant and manage the new growth.  There will be a lot of browse that is coming up now that the canopy is gone. There will also be cover and security in a very short time.

Conceptually, you have to remember that once the briars and weeds get 3.5 feet high, a whitetail will feel pretty safe passing through it in daylight. Up until the time that it gets too thick to see into, you will be able to cover A LOT of territory from a treestand.  Use some scouting stands to narrow down and fine tune stand placement prior to the archery season and you should be able to make some sound decisions on where to spend opening day.

The challenge in bowhunting a clearcut is much like bowhunting a cropfield.  The deer are sometimes hard to pattern in terms of where they enter and exit the field.

[Benha]

John the deer were everywhere due to the new growth. Antler size seemed to go up also.

[Jeff Strubberg]

Depends on what is around the area that was logged, John.  If the logged area is surrounded by farms and open area, the new growth should give you acres and acres of bedding cover.  That's good for the deer population, but 160 acres is a lot of bedding ground to scout!

If the area around what was logged is old growth forest, you could see another response.  The fresh growth and tender browse should attract deer as a food source.  More daytime movement, definitely prime hunting ground.

It really kinda depends on how those new cuts and heavier growth over the next few years play into your overall hunting area.

[cajunbowhntr]

it will be great.But you need to keep access open to some of the oak flats.if you can keep an access trail open to some of those mature oaks and slip in there when the wind is right you will have a honey hole.In a couple years it will be a jungle.The good thing is the deer will feel safe and move around in there during the mid day.When the oaks are dropping it will be a magnet.it's a lot easier now to establish some access routes and then keep it open.Once it grows up it's tough to get in there.


CB

[Stone Knife]

Cajunbowhntr has a real good point keep some of those logging roads clear, it will make easy traveling for you and deer get lazy they like an easy route also.

[trh1]

If the deer have a water source close by it will be phenominal.It will be good either way. Usually clear cut peaks in 3 years according to several factors. If you like to ground hunt should have alot of good brush to make good blinds. I like to stalk hunt after a rain down logging roads. Look close and you can catch em in thier beds.Also great areas for turkeys.   :D

[e alexander]

This sound good. We have about 70 acres that we cut, very similar to the original post, about 18" and above.  We left several oaks, but my main concern is maintaing cleared access.  Has anyone had and experience with seeding and maintaining clearings.  I've considered seeding the landings with wheat, but I assume the "thick stuff" will soon take over.  We cut in the fall of '05, and it hasn't started to get too thick yet.

[vermonster13]

Check out the QDMA site on how to set-up and maintain the property.

[Tom Uselding]

Clear cuts are indeed a dinner bell.  First year clear cuts will have the food deer prefer but it won't hold the cover for bedding.  In first year clear cuts I look for the bedding areas elsewhere.

Clear cuts two years and older will provide adequate cover for mature bucks and other deer to feel comfortable bedding in.  The attraction of preferred browse will be there for a number of years.  The problem now becomes one of visibility.  The growth becomes so thick it is nearly impossible to see or shoot an arrow through.  At this time, I'm looking for standing timber that extends into the clear cut.  

Clear cuts are definately a deer magnet.