Deer will gravitate to the path of not least, but lesser resisitence. Hence, traveling along clear cut edges.

But what really draws the deer to clear cuts is 2 things, both involving new clear cuts:
* when the clear cuts are fresh and the green leaves are down where the
deer can eat them.
* the clear cut is fresh and the plants under can spring up with the new found
sunlight where the deer can much on them.