Landowner is Logging my honey hole

nh312

Button Buck
Bad case of pine beatles the landowner decided to log the area. They did leave some tree's around the small creek and pond area, how bad will this mess up my deer season? There is still wheat in the fields, What can I do to help bring the deer back when the loggers leave. Thanks for any help, I'm little nervous about this season.
 

robertc

Eight Pointer
Years ago my hunting property was clear cut. It originally contained large oaks and other hard wood. I was devastated watching my beloved woods vanish. The county forest told me that my first year would be affected but the years following would be awesome. He was right. Don't give up hope. You may struggle this season but 2018 should see a major increase in deer. Good luck.

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Ldsoldier

Old Mossy Horns
None of us like to see big oak trees cut, but you have to remember they only feed deer for a few months out of the year. There's a lot more food and cover in a 2 year old clear cut than there is in a mature oak stand. Have faith...
 

TravisLH

Old Mossy Horns
It can be negative the first year but as soon as the brush gets waist high it'll be a magnet.


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Downeast

Twelve Pointer
Same thing is happening to me. Big old hardwoods and pine to be clearcut, sprayed, and planted to loblolly pine. :mad:
 

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Cutovers hold more deer, but they are much harder to hunt after the 3rd year. That's the part no one mentions. If it's yours and you can cut big lanes in it from existing stands, that's one thing, but in a lot of cases you can't. Your potential stand trees are all cut, and about the only thing you can do is hunt the creeks (wind problems), loading deck and edges. The deer will be fine. The biggest loss is the ability to hunt them easily.

Of course if you could push out lanes about 20' wide and plant them, you'd have a honey hole that's better than it was before.
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
Yep great time to clear trails, clear shooting lanes and areas for stands.
Easy to get them set up where you want and be ready for the next few years.

We had one woods cut at our club last year. Lots of deer got shot on the cutover and it was done in July or so last year. Set up off tree lines and around water or low areas.
You will see them more at first light, mid day and last light from what I have found hunting new cutovers.
 

Redneck Rocker Dude

Old Mossy Horns
Gonna miss a good piece of the growing season this year, but what little bit does grow up this year the deer will lay in on cold frosty mornings next year. Season after next will be awesome though. I love a cutover.


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nh312

Button Buck
Thanks for all the encouragement, it was very hard seeing them cut down such a beautiful stand of hard woods.BUT hearing all this I'm feeling better about it all. THANKS AGAIN!!!
 

Rubline

Twelve Pointer
I'm going through the same thing, I've been very fortunate to have permission to hunt a beautiful block of woods
with a mixture of oak and pines, nice rolling ridges, creeks and a big cow pasture. I've taken some very good bucks
and turkeys off of this farm.
They started logging this place about a month ago, I didn't bother to turkey hunt it this spring, probably could have
but felt like the turkeys would be spooked and didn't want the land owner worried about interfering with the loggers.
Now I have to wait and see what this place will offer this coming Fall as far as deer hunting.
My friends will tell, that was THE Honey Hole for many years.
 

darkthirty

Old Mossy Horns
Ive said it before and I'll say it again. There is no where else I'd rather hunt than a first year clear cut on a cold bright clear sunny morning.
Logging bothers deer hunters way more than it'll ever bother the deer.
 
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oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
Ive said it before and I'll say it again. There is no where else I'd rather hunt than a first year clear cut on a cold bright clear sunny morning.
Logging bothers deer hunters way more than it'll ever bother the deer.

i will echo that for turkeys as well. they are bastards to kill once they get out in a new one; but they use them even better than fields that first year.
 

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Ive said it before and I'll say it again. There is no where else I'd rather hunt than a first year clear cut on a cold bright clear sunny morning.
Logging bothers deer hunters way more than it'll ever bother the deer.

Yep. The first two years, I like to get up as high as I can in a big tree with a good set of bino's and wait. It's also amazing how they can disappear in it too though. I've never glassed more in NC than when hunting cutovers.
 

Buxndiverdux

Old Mossy Horns
i will echo that for turkeys as well. they are bastards to kill once they get out in a new one; but they use them even better than fields that first year.

I agree. I hunted a place that was clear cut in Decemeber. The turkeys were in it all morning and all evening that season. I finally got one of the Toms to come close enough in that mess and dropped him. When I did, 7 more birds erupted from within 60 yards of me. They love a fresh cutover, but are a bitch to hunt them around one.
 

DRS

Old Mossy Horns
I would be excited. Cut this time of year, it will likely be enough cover and forage, the deer will be in there and you will be able to see them. The next few years will be good then, you will not be able to see them.
 
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Smitty010203

Twelve Pointer
My first though was "better than your best friend" but didn't want to derail.

haha very true.

Definitely don't wan't to derail a guy getting his honey hole logged!

(I'm done now. Sorry to the OP for sidetracking. Atleast you got a bump back to the top from it!)

And good luck with the cut pines. I am turkey hunting in a 6 month old cut right now and while its a cool property, it is extremely difficult to hunt turkey on. For deer though I think it would be a blast, I can see my self spot and stalk hunting whitetails in it this year.
 

oneoldinspector/hunter

Guest
My problem is the loggers are taking their sweet time getting to my lease; looks like they will be there in time for hunting season, bad deal they are logging other areas near us. The probably will use our food plots for staging areas so it is a real mess.
 

QBD2

Old Mossy Horns
My problem is the loggers are taking their sweet time getting to my lease; looks like they will be there in time for hunting season, bad deal they are logging other areas near us. The probably will use our food plots for staging areas so it is a real mess.
I worked turkeys on one end of a tract while the skidder was running on the other...deer are even more tolerant of loggers. You'll be fine.
 

Aviator106

Guest
Same exact thing happened to me last year around opening day in September unfortunately. It was at a natural funnel area where deer were consistently all season long both morning and night. It did change the patterns drastically but by the end of the hunting season last year, things returned pretty close to normal. It may be a tough first year but it will only get better. One of the best areas to hunt on the farm where I hunt is a cutover that was logged 2 years ago. The abundance of food that has since filled that side has shown the biggest bucks that I have on camera.
 

Putt

Old Mossy Horns
Find some good.clear area, fertilize now with throw and grow, will not loose a beat. Exactly what magnum said
 
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btsharky

Twelve Pointer
I had a spot being logged during deer season last year. They finished in late November. The third week of December I caught a buck slipping across the new cutover checking things out and got a shot on him. He was 18.5" inside and heavy horned. Don't give up hope on the area.
 
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