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How bad will logging affect my deer hunting?

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How bad will logging affect my deer hunting?

Old 12-19-2014, 04:25 AM
  #11  
Nontypical Buck
 
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Default Seems to me you need professional help

You can go on the cheap. But it's your logging and your spending. I'd get a professional forester or a wildlife biologist who surveys forest areas and knows trees and wildlife.

To me, it takes too long to grow trees to make mistakes.
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Old 12-19-2014, 04:46 AM
  #12  
MZS
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I had some of my property logged 4 years ago. The guy doing it was a hunter, and assured me this would improve hunting. But he was a logger first. He cut most of the trees. And then, he simply smashed down the cuttings rather than pile or clean them up - he said they would rot down and add organic matter, which is true. What a tangled mess! He left some trees up, but the wind pushed many over, leading to even more of a mess. I cleared the cuttings out to make some trails, which helped some but deer don't like to be walking through this open log obstacle course. Now, it is finally starting to recover as the trimmings are rotting down, and the brush and trees are growing up. But still, it will take another year or two before deer feel safe year round. And I think that ultimately I will have a much better hunter area than the mature woods I had as I am already as of this year seeing more bucks than I was seeing although once leaves go down they ski-daddle to heavier cover of my neighbors. I would suggest that you do some very limited and targeted cutting to allow some shooting lanes and some growth of brush and smaller plants. But keep the majority of your cover. And clear out, chip up, or pile up the trimmings. And keep in mind that when you clear cut, the shooting lanes you get will quickly grow into dense brushy areas. Do some research and maybe even get a forester involved to develop a plan before you let any cutting begin.

Last edited by MZS; 12-19-2014 at 04:54 AM.
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Old 12-19-2014, 05:12 AM
  #13  
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In light of this:


Originally Posted by X_Rayted35

This is kinda what it looks like. Probably has never been logged before. Fear my awesome art skills.
Green=Pine
Brown=HardWood


I'll second this:

Originally Posted by Father Forkhorn
I'd thin them, not remove them. They provide cover.

If you thin them, you'll also get new growth that would be attractive to deer as browse.

One area I hunt, 35 acres or so, was "logged" via bulldozer several years ago- dozens of white pines from 10'-40' were pushed into large piles and left to decompose. This area once provided good shelter for whitetails but was, admittedly, tough to hunt. Actually, it looked exactly like those old Cabela's hunting video games!

Now, it's a mix of head high scrub, grasses,briars,wild roses,etc. and even more tough to hunt since it is wide open and easily tall enough to swallow a deer. It radically altered deer travel patterns to the perimeter.


Also, your skills are appropriately feared!
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Old 12-19-2014, 05:27 AM
  #14  
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Based on the sketch provided, my opinion is go ahead and take all the pine, assuming it is either of harvestable size, or it is just low-quality junk. You do not have so much pine that taking it all will reduce the cover to any great amount. Harvest now and deer will be back in there soon. Understory growth will be deer food come summer and there may even be some browse this fall. I would not suppress any growth with chemicals, unless you want to add a foodplot of some sort. I'm no expert on those, but if the logger is given advance notice, he may be able to place his "landing" in the location that you'll use for a plot, This way, the logger will clear and grub it for you.

One thing I have always required of a logger: All slash (pine limbs and tops, as this is a pine only harvest) is to be laid on the ground, no exceptions.
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Old 12-19-2014, 05:27 PM
  #15  
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Some loggers will pull the trees out whole and chip what doesn't make the grade for the saw mill, this inclues the branches! Take your time and weigh the options, ask to look at a previously harvested area and ask for references. Work the skidder trails to your advantage!
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Old 12-20-2014, 03:01 AM
  #16  
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When I first started hunting the woods on the farm had been clear cut for pulp wood 10 years earlier. It had grown up real thick could not see over 20 yards in most of the area. We mostly hunted the logging trails that had been made thru the area where deer crossed them.
20 years and the woods had self thinned out as woods do over time plus what we had cut for fire wood over time. Still great hunting even as it grew more mature. !984 Dad had it clear cut again in sections One of the first was where my blind was. When I saw the area I was very upset could see 500 yards in any direction. What a great deer season from that blind. I got a 6 point opening day, mom got a 6 point the second day My friend got another 6 point on the 5th day. I got a second 6 point as he crawled from under a top that had been left the day before thanks giving. My dad got a 6 point there the last day of the season in all 6 6points came from there.

The next year IT was all 5 and 6 foot high saplings had to cut shooting lanes and only two bucks were taken there as you just could not see much.

I don't think you will hurt the hunting at all. How ever would be a shame to loose all the winter cover.
There are pines and then there are pines. there are also several spruce trees that grow in North America along with Firs.
So what are yours?

Many times the evergreens can have lower branches trimmed to improve them and visibility.

Al
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Old 12-21-2014, 07:21 AM
  #17  
RWK
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If your going to log try and do it in Sep. that way they have a lot of browse on the ground from the tops.
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Old 12-23-2014, 02:43 PM
  #18  
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Most states have wildlife biologists that will come to the site, look it over and help you make a plan. They also have timber management specialists that will do the same. This is free to you, your tax dollars and hunting fees have already paid for it. These guys are professionals that know their business. I would at least give them a shot and see what they think. You are still free to do whatever you want.
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Old 12-29-2014, 03:11 PM
  #19  
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Originally Posted by MZS
I had some of my property logged 4 years ago. The guy doing it was a hunter, and assured me this would improve hunting. But he was a logger first. He cut most of the trees. And then, he simply smashed down the cuttings rather than pile or clean them up - he said they would rot down and add organic matter, which is true. What a tangled mess! He left some trees up, but the wind pushed many over, leading to even more of a mess. I cleared the cuttings out to make some trails, which helped some but deer don't like to be walking through this open log obstacle course. Now, it is finally starting to recover as the trimmings are rotting down, and the brush and trees are growing up. But still, it will take another year or two before deer feel safe year round. And I think that ultimately I will have a much better hunter area than the mature woods I had as I am already as of this year seeing more bucks than I was seeing although once leaves go down they ski-daddle to heavier cover of my neighbors. I would suggest that you do some very limited and targeted cutting to allow some shooting lanes and some growth of brush and smaller plants. But keep the majority of your cover. And clear out, chip up, or pile up the trimmings. And keep in mind that when you clear cut, the shooting lanes you get will quickly grow into dense brushy areas. Do some research and maybe even get a forester involved to develop a plan before you let any cutting begin.
My experience with logging is similar. The logging was messy as many trees where cut down and left untouched. It happened in 2011, it wasn't a good place but I got a deer every year there. I harvested a deer the year it was logged, I remember the extra shooting lanes at the time where nice but short lived. Since then the place is full of fallen trees and overgrowth. The deer bed and hang on the edges of the woods. I see less deer sign in the middle of the wooded areas. To my surprise I haven't been able to harvest a deer on that property since 2011. I did pass up a 6 point buck this archery season.

I am not discouraged but things have drastically changed since the logging. It is going to be worth it in the long haul. I noticed an usually high number of bucks on the trail camera from pre-bow season. Many wild turkeys have moved in this year and seem rooted in for good.
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Old 01-02-2015, 11:15 AM
  #20  
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Originally Posted by Wingbone
I had my land logged a few years ago. As soon as the logger quit work for the day, they'd be in there feeding on the tops. Logging, if done right, will improve your habitat. If done wrong, will take your land years to recover. Unless you are an experienced forester, I'd recommend hiring one. I hired a professional to do mine, explained what I wanted, and let him mark the trees and manage the cut. The result was my deer habitat improved. Forestry is a science, logging is not. Hire a professional.
I had pics of deer on my camera 45-1hr from when they started logging...the deer would walk by then you see the logging equipment...LOL Logging will affect them but it should open things up and get more coming in. I hadnt got elk pics on my camera now after logging it Im getting pics of them...nothing consistent but its neat to see them at least coming in there.
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