DougMD

I have a place where it was getting more and more open over the past 10 years or so with fewer deer sightings. Just this summer/fall, I cut a lot of trees down, and was wondering if deer can be expected to use it immediately, or if it takes a few years for native browse to come up. I left the trees down without harvesting firewood, etc. so there are plenty of branches and leaves, and most downed trees offer great cover to 4 plus feet or higher.

Thanks for any ideas on how you think it will work right off the bat!

Zdeerslayer

I think it just depends on if there is a safer route for the deer to take in the area. If there's a area w/ think brush near the area you cut, I'd bet that's where the deer are. Other than that, the deer will appreciate the new growth from taking out the big trees, and will start browsing on it.

tycteach

Depending on the types of trees, deer love the leaves of the downed trees if there isn't a lot else to eat. You might consider cutting them down in the fall while there are still leaves on them and they'll usually come right in after you cut them down. As far as cover.....They'll find it when they need it and they will use it. I see deer get up from their beds where I have cut trees down and just stand in there and watch me go by.

gamespooker

i was on a lease in georgia for almost my whole life up until last year. we killed a few nice bucks, but three years before we lost the lease it was clearcut. we thought the hunting was gonna go to pot, but we actually killed many more nice bucks. they didn't hesitate to come into the clearcuts, especially during the rut.

DougMD

That's what I'm hoping. There is thick laurel up a hillside, then a semi-open bench that many on hunting shows would call a thicket. Then 30 yards up another slope, I cut trees about 30 yards wide and 100 yards long. My hope is they'll feel safe on the bench, and use the clearcut areas to bed. Hopefully, the bucks will travel upwind of the downed trees to scent check bedded does. I realize many leaves get eaten, but there are quite a few higher up they can't get to, and those should stay on the downed trees for a year or more before falling off. Even the lower branches and trunks should provide plenty of bedding cover where before, it was rather open with little deer activity.

timbercruiser

True story, a few years ago I had a logger cutting a tract and on some of the steeper hillsides they had to use achainsaw. One of the logs caught a breeze and rocked back on his saw, pinching the bar. The sawyer walked up the hill to get the skidder drivers attention for help and when he went back down where his running saw was in the tree an 8 pointer was within 5 yards of the tree looking at the saw.
Another logger friend sat on his loader the afternoon after everybody had gone home and killed a nice buck as it came out tobrowse on the log tops in the ramp.

wihunter32

you will see them there right away. it's a terrific food source for them to browse on and should fill in with brush and saplings in the next year or two

Rick James

Within hours sometimes.......

DougMD

I cut them down a month to three months ago on separate trips. I realize they came and foraged the leaves, etc. but hope they now use the downed trees as bedding cover, and feel more secure using that part of the woods where it was open before.

JIMRABY

i just had a big Bull Dozer at my house today.
he was in the back field Clearing Thick Brush on a 10 acre pasture.
it was very noisy... Clearing the brush, and Opening it up to be a Cleared Field Again.
it was loud, and alot of time it was making the LOUD BEEPING SOUND when it went into reverse.
He was out there after dark, with the Spot Lights on top of the Dozer on, making alot of noise.
he follwed me to my house so i can pay Him... 5 minutes later, i drove the the back field to get some tools i left behind.
to find 4 deer, already out in the cleared area.