Clearcut and thinning of timber
01-17-2003, 11:16 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Auburn Georgia USA
Posts: 84
Clearcut and thinning of timber
The land my club leases is about 800 acres. Shortly the timber company will be doing some thinning and clear cutting in alot of areas on the property. Was wondering what affect and how long this might have on the turkeys? Will they vacate all together or move to the areas that arent being touched? Fortunately our land borders a state forest so I do have the option of stepping across the line on to public land but I've got them patterned on our land and have had bad experiences while deer hunting on public land and would rather avoid it!!! Here in Georgia our season starts March 23rd so hopefully the clearing and thinning would be finished before that.
01-17-2003, 12:30 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: SW Michigan
Posts: 1,906
RE: Clearcut and thinning of timber
Really depends on a few factors...
1) How intensive the cutting is, and over what time period it occurs.
2) How bad the underlying brush is destroyed by the cutting.
3) How much of the turkeys "home" territory is affected.
4) If affected, what areas of the turkeys "home"---i.e., roost sites, strut zones, food plots, etc.
5) The size of your turkey population, and how many mature gobblers you have located within your property.
With your season so close, the turkeys will be adversely affected, especially with the start of your breeding (pecking orders specifically) season getting under way very soon.
Turkeys, I've found moreso than deer, can't stand chainsaws. Probably has to do with their loss of their best defense, their hearing, whereas deer still have their sense of smell.
They'll move to a more quiet location, and if they establish new strut zones and roost sites, they won't be back to the "cut" areas this season. Then again, 800 acres is a very large area, and I'm suspecting you probably have a good population of birds, with multiple hen & gobbler flocks.
Depending on the time period though, at minimum you should at least be able to call in a few satellite gobblers, but this is dependent on how many gobblers you have in the area.
With the amount of cutting you've indicated, your best bet is to scout as often as possible. The birds, I'm almost 100% positive, will move to new areas probably weekly, maybe even daily depending on how many "core home areas" are affected.
But don't digress, fore I've found that new clearcuts are a turkey & deer haven, usually within 3 months after cutting has ceased. If they finish by mid- to late-February, by the time the middle of April rolls around I'm sure you'll have some gobblers using the clearcuts as strut zones, as long as all the hens don't get spooked too far from the area.
S&R
1) How intensive the cutting is, and over what time period it occurs.
2) How bad the underlying brush is destroyed by the cutting.
3) How much of the turkeys "home" territory is affected.
4) If affected, what areas of the turkeys "home"---i.e., roost sites, strut zones, food plots, etc.
5) The size of your turkey population, and how many mature gobblers you have located within your property.
With your season so close, the turkeys will be adversely affected, especially with the start of your breeding (pecking orders specifically) season getting under way very soon.
Turkeys, I've found moreso than deer, can't stand chainsaws. Probably has to do with their loss of their best defense, their hearing, whereas deer still have their sense of smell.
They'll move to a more quiet location, and if they establish new strut zones and roost sites, they won't be back to the "cut" areas this season. Then again, 800 acres is a very large area, and I'm suspecting you probably have a good population of birds, with multiple hen & gobbler flocks.
Depending on the time period though, at minimum you should at least be able to call in a few satellite gobblers, but this is dependent on how many gobblers you have in the area.
With the amount of cutting you've indicated, your best bet is to scout as often as possible. The birds, I'm almost 100% positive, will move to new areas probably weekly, maybe even daily depending on how many "core home areas" are affected.
But don't digress, fore I've found that new clearcuts are a turkey & deer haven, usually within 3 months after cutting has ceased. If they finish by mid- to late-February, by the time the middle of April rolls around I'm sure you'll have some gobblers using the clearcuts as strut zones, as long as all the hens don't get spooked too far from the area.
S&R
01-17-2003, 01:40 PM
#3
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Auburn Georgia USA
Posts: 84
RE: Clearcut and thinning of timber
Thanks S&R, the info is greatly appreciated. Sounds like good news/bad news!
The timber company has marked most of the areas they will be working and roost sites and feeding areas which seem to be mainly hardwoods (acorns etc) will be the least affected as mostly pine is what is being cut. Although they are close to each other. I'm thinking our food plots (mostly clover and get heavy usage) will end up being parking lots etc for the big equipment and probably ruined as they are right off the main road going through the property. Your assumption is correct about multiple hen and gobbler flocks based on my own scouting and reports of sightings by fellow members during deer season at basically the same time of the day. I will continue scouting and sounds like I need to start scouting the public land around ours. Fortunately our season lasts almost 8 weeks so hopefully the birds will have enough time to adjust to their new surroundings.
Again, thanks for the info
The timber company has marked most of the areas they will be working and roost sites and feeding areas which seem to be mainly hardwoods (acorns etc) will be the least affected as mostly pine is what is being cut. Although they are close to each other. I'm thinking our food plots (mostly clover and get heavy usage) will end up being parking lots etc for the big equipment and probably ruined as they are right off the main road going through the property. Your assumption is correct about multiple hen and gobbler flocks based on my own scouting and reports of sightings by fellow members during deer season at basically the same time of the day. I will continue scouting and sounds like I need to start scouting the public land around ours. Fortunately our season lasts almost 8 weeks so hopefully the birds will have enough time to adjust to their new surroundings.
Again, thanks for the info
01-17-2003, 02:43 PM
#4
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: AR USA
Posts: 889
RE: Clearcut and thinning of timber
GAturkhunter, 15 years ago our lease was all woods. now it's about 80% clearcut or thined. the turkeys are still here. the clearcuts make for good nesting areas. and they'll roost in those thined pines.
a couple years ago, the timber company moved in to thin a patch of pines that the turkeys always roosted in. the workers didn't move out untill about 4 or 5 days before opening morning. I was really discusted and didn't expect to even here a gobbler first mornin.
boy was i wrong! there were 3 different turkeys gobblin (roosted)
right in there where they had just cut.
I've come to beleive, you just can't hardley run a turkey out of his home area. they can adapt to just about any situation. <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>
daytona 500 winner- Ward Burton
go Cat-22
a couple years ago, the timber company moved in to thin a patch of pines that the turkeys always roosted in. the workers didn't move out untill about 4 or 5 days before opening morning. I was really discusted and didn't expect to even here a gobbler first mornin.
boy was i wrong! there were 3 different turkeys gobblin (roosted)
right in there where they had just cut.
I've come to beleive, you just can't hardley run a turkey out of his home area. they can adapt to just about any situation. <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>
daytona 500 winner- Ward Burton
go Cat-22
01-17-2003, 06:26 PM
#5
Spike
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Georgia
Posts: 55
RE: Clearcut and thinning of timber
GaTH,
I had my hardwood bottom in Spalding County, Ga select cut about 4 years ago. The turkeys were literally watching the equipment work. They began cutting right in the middle of the season so I had to work around them. About once a week the loggers would tell me about seeing a gobbler while I was at the other end of the property hunting. I was able to get on one bird that they had seen while working. Just couldn't close the deal. I think the birds tolerate the disruption fairly well and will return to normal quickly after the logging stops. Good luck.
I had my hardwood bottom in Spalding County, Ga select cut about 4 years ago. The turkeys were literally watching the equipment work. They began cutting right in the middle of the season so I had to work around them. About once a week the loggers would tell me about seeing a gobbler while I was at the other end of the property hunting. I was able to get on one bird that they had seen while working. Just couldn't close the deal. I think the birds tolerate the disruption fairly well and will return to normal quickly after the logging stops. Good luck.
