Loadsmasher

I was reading a petersen's mag and read an interesting arcticle, well i thought it was the author Bill Vaznis, talks about how fresh cut forest attracts bucks, apparantly larger bucks. He even states "in fact, some bucks live out their entire lives in the immediate vicinity of major clear-cut." I wonder if this is because forests are diminishing because of growth, or if in fact the bucks prefer the past of least resistance? Wondering if you all have noticed any trends, out where my parents live in IL there are quite a few clear cuts, and if this is the case, I might try it out this coming season. Any thoughts? Comments?

dandbuck

Ok. here is my thoughts on the issue. I hunt areas of clear-cuts and there are plenty of deer there. Inthe first year or two you can see pretty well, but with poplar trees in the areas it starts to get thick quick. One area I hunt was clearcut in 1985, and it's just now staring to get where you can walk through the woods nice and the trees are getting about 6" diameter for an average. Do the deer like it? Sure, they can hide almost anywhere. With no agricultural areas around where I go, the food sources are tough to find. Ireally need to "make" some food plots. Inn the areas of clearcuts in the time they were cut, the first few months saw a lot of deer and seeing was easy. Now it's easy to see the sign and I "hear" a lot of deer that I do not see. It really gets thick where walking is not easy without being noisy. Good Luck.

i would much rather see a "select" cut than a "clear" cut.

HuntingBry

I think the clearcuts become attractive to big bucks after a few years of undergrowth have filled them in. I know areas that are clear cut around here become nearly impenetrable fortresses of vines, thorns, underbrush, and young growth. Big bucks love this cover. They can get in there and sense danger from a great distance and it is nearly impossible to get them out. I know when I see a nasty tangle like that surrounded by a wood lot I think "there's got to be a big one in there."

bryant1

It depends on theregionand time of year IMO. Where i hunt in Florida younger bucks are what usually use the clearcuts during legal shooting hours.My hunting club's terrain consistmostly ofplanted pines and hardwood swamps- you usually find the big bucks in the thickest, nastiest terrain- the swamps or smaller planted pines. So if either are around a clearcut, then i would say yes.

In my experience during general gun season you will find very few nice bucks around the clearcuts. Actually i would say the opposite; you wouldfind big bucks avoid clearcuts during shooting hours, unless it was during the rut.

jonhall9

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

Sooner State Hunter

The cutting creates a fresh food source in the disturbed soil that attract deer.

Loadsmasher

So is a old loggers road something to look at where no new tree growth is, but alot of new food growth is present? I think i will try it out for a couple of days this year? Any other tactics or ideas you all have about clear cut areas?

skipperfishflipper

super cover and superfood all those tiny little trees are delicious why wouldnt they love it