My experience with clearcuts has taken place in MD. When I was a young kid, before I was old enough to carry a weapon, large blocks of mature pines on/near our hunting area were clearcut. Since that time, the hunting has gradually improved with the seasons. I think that to begin with, the first few years clear-cuts are attractive because of the food generated by new growth. However, after they get about head high with growth again, their value to the deer changes to being primarily cover rather than a food source.

Now, the growth is probably over ten years old. Most trees are about six inches or less. This is where most of our deer like to spend most of their time. However, without a lot of structure or terrain features (it's pretty flat land) it is difficult to pinpoint them, and even harder to put treestands in there with no large trees. A groundblind would be feasible, but again, difficult to pinpoint major traffic areas. However, every year there is abundant buck sign throughout the clearcuts. Visibility is also an issue trying to hunt it. We usually try to catch our deer traveling in or out of the clearcut areas.

Jon