Go Back  HuntingNet.com Forums > General Hunting Forums > Whitetail Deer Hunting
How bad will logging affect my deer hunting? >

How bad will logging affect my deer hunting?

Whitetail Deer Hunting Gain a better understanding of the World's most popular big game animal and the techniques that will help you become a better deer hunter.

How bad will logging affect my deer hunting?

Old 12-18-2014, 03:50 PM
  #1  
Spike
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 65
Default How bad will logging affect my deer hunting?

When the season ends Im planning on logging all of my pines over about 75 acres. Theres tons of deer in there but theres just no open places for a stand. Im going to leave all my hard woods up and only take the pines. I also wont replant so probably no need to spray poison like they did for pines they replanted 5 years ago. I assume they will burn the underbrush as well. Heard burning basically turns the area into a massive food plot. Hopefully I can get some good brier growth too.

If I log in February will my Deer come back by September? Or should I just write off hunting that half of my land next season?
X_Rayted35 is offline  
Old 12-18-2014, 04:22 PM
  #2  
Typical Buck
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: The "empire" state-NY
Posts: 583
Default

I'd guess if there are tons of deer there now, they may be using the pines as cover.

No pines-no cover.

Deer do adapt quickly, you'll just have to adapt to their new usage patterns.
ModernPrimitive is offline  
Old 12-18-2014, 04:55 PM
  #3  
Nontypical Buck
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Eastern wv
Posts: 3,617
Default

if it were me, I'd have them push them out to remove the stumps, then let it green up then spray and plant with some sort of food source, once the ground is laid bare and especialy where they burn, every seed that's been in the ground for years will germinate and grow, mostly thistles and wild roses, will grow up into a worse thicket than you have now. just my thoughts
RR
Ridge Runner is offline  
Old 12-18-2014, 05:00 PM
  #4  
Nontypical Buck
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: NE Kansas
Posts: 1,092
Default

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.
Father Forkhorn is offline  
Old 12-18-2014, 05:30 PM
  #5  
Fork Horn
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 101
Default

When we had ours logged it grew up so thick you can't see more than 5 feet in most of what was logged. Really helped the hunting.
Wisco94 is offline  
Old 12-18-2014, 05:40 PM
  #6  
Fork Horn
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Maine & northern FloRida
Posts: 195
Default

I believe you will have deer to hunt next season since you are leaving the hardwoods. If you have a mast crop i.e. acorns they will come. I would bet that each year it will get better. If you end up with a few level skidder roads I would keep them bush hogged to provide shooting lanes.
MaineRida is offline  
Old 12-18-2014, 07:35 PM
  #7  
Spike
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 65
Default

Originally Posted by ModernPrimitive
I'd guess if there are tons of deer there now, they may be using the pines as cover.

No pines-no cover.
its a pretty even mix of pines and hardwoods. Most of the Oaks are bigger than the pines. So if I removed the Pines it shouldnt hurt their cover too much. There shouldnt be any gaping openings because the Hardwoods are so well mixed with the pines. Also it should let my smaller Oaks grow so even more acorns. I just want to open it up where I can place a stand or two. The pines I can do without since they dont drop delicious acorns.

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


Last edited by X_Rayted35; 12-18-2014 at 07:50 PM.
X_Rayted35 is offline  
Old 12-18-2014, 07:49 PM
  #8  
Nontypical Buck
 
rockport's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,359
Default

Logging usually helps hunting from my experience unless your removing something that was actually holding the deer.

What kind of pine trees are we talking here? Like full all the way to the ground or just branches towards the top?

Either way it certainly shouldn't make the property unhuntable for a year.

Last edited by rockport; 12-18-2014 at 07:53 PM.
rockport is offline  
Old 12-19-2014, 03:29 AM
  #9  
Nontypical Buck
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: west central wi USA
Posts: 2,238
Default

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.
Wingbone is offline  
Old 12-19-2014, 03:33 AM
  #10  
Boone & Crockett
 
Oldtimr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: south eastern PA
Posts: 15,347
Default

You didn't say where you live so we don't know the weather. Pines provide thermal shelter that is not available from hardwoods. The property I hunt has fields, hardwoods and a big stand of mature pines. When it is real cold and you walk into the pines there is a big difference in temp. The deer use these pines for shelter from both cold and rain and when they are presured both on the property and surounding properties, they go to the pines. If you have a choice, I would thin the pines instead of taking the whole stand, The choice is yours and either way, I doubt you will lose your deer. Sounds like a nice property.
Oldtimr is offline  

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.