Lease getting logged

Lonehunter

Six Pointer
We just found out the lumber on our lease is getting sold. It sounds like it will be after this coming deer season. The lease is 175 +- acres. There is a cut over of 40 acres that was cut and planted in pines 12 or so years ago. To thick to walk threw it! There is a section of 11 or so acres that was logged and planted in pines 20-25 years ago. We can finally walk threw it. The rest will be clear cut. Except where they need to stay off the stream with 50' buffers. We have 1 major stream and 2 drainages on the property that may be big enough to leave some trees around them.

My ? is, Will these buffers along the streams become travel corridors for deer when the rest of the future clear cuts get grown up in pines and briars?

Thanks,
Jeff
 

ditchbank

Banned
Nope, they will walk across that clear cut like the timber is still there.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

jug

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
They usually will travel the corridors till they find a place where they want to cross or enter the clearcut. Once you find that spot then you will have a honeyhole.
 

DRS

Old Mossy Horns
From hunting many properties over the years that have been logged, for the most part I think deer use topography when traveling. They would use the same places regardless if clear cut, thick or forested. Some of these places have trees on them large enough to hunt out of again and the deer still use the same areas to travel.
 

MtnMan

Ten Pointer
I love hunting the 3rd 4th and 5th years of a clear cut, Usually starts getting real tough to hunt after the 5th year.
 

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
From a HIGH spot the first few years.

The best situation is if the owner will let you put lanes or firebreaks in somewhere so you can maintain a few long shooting lanes after it grows up. If you have no shooting lanes after year 5 it gets really tough, and your options are limited.
 

Weekender

Twelve Pointer
IMO, the streams or drainages were already deer highways and that won't change. Unless the timber company and owners spray after cutting and replant pines immediately, you're going to have a ton of natural forage for the deer to eat, a deer mecca, in other words.
 

30/06

Twelve Pointer
See if you can talk them into leaving some lanes open or areas where you can plant a little plot. New cutovers are great, 4-5 years in you can't see a thing. Lots of deer just real hard to hunt.
 

MtnMan

Ten Pointer
How do you hunt the clearcut? Just pick a spot where you can watch as much of it as possible?
Walk the edge of the clear cut in preseason looking for trails and any crossings in creeks or low places. Find a sturdy tall tree on the south side of the crossing that looks used the most. Hunt it only with the wind in your face. Also , if possible build a tower stand about 12 feet high on a high spot in the clear cut with a good view of surrounding hill sides. I have found that bucks will travel around the hill sides more than crossing directly over the top of a hill.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
only thing that would be better for you would be if they were doing it now.

being a lease be careful and dont let your lease partners back out. your 12 year cut is likely where they sleep, the new cut will be where they play.

practice your long range accuracy. you may need it.
 

estaton

Button Buck
Find where the deer are crossing and put a tower stand about 100 to 200 yards away. You can put in the middle of the clear cut if it's in a good spot.
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
Sounds like you got some good hunting ahead of you and the comments about seeing about making some lanes is real good advice when it gets thick you'll still be able hunt it
 

shadycove

Twelve Pointer
Deer follow trails that were laid down by their great [x40] grandmothers way back when. They will continue to walk them as long as there are deer.
 

BigBow

Ten Pointer
Contributor
IMO, the streams or drainages were already deer highways and that won't change. Unless the timber company and owners spray after cutting and replant pines immediately, you're going to have a ton of natural forage for the deer to eat, a deer mecca, in other words.
Unfortunately, the huge clearcut which was then followed up by herbicide spraying and then replanting in pines soon thereafter was never a good sign for the wildlife on a lease that I belonged to.
 
Top