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Clearing Shooting Lanes with Chainsaw for Whitetail Deer Hunting - Northern WI

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Clearing Shooting Lanes with Chainsaw for Whitetail Deer Hunting - Northern WI

Old 12-22-2016, 08:21 AM
  #1  
Spike
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Question Clearing Shooting Lanes with Chainsaw for Whitetail Deer Hunting - Northern WI

My brother-in-law chainsawing down mostly garbage pine trees in front of his tree stand. I forgot to shoot video after. Basically you could only see 20 feet by 20 feet in front of his stand, after we were done you could see about 30 ft wide by 120 feet deep. This winter the fallen trees should add more of a food source for the deer as well(bark, twigs, etc). In spring we will plant a couple apple & crab apple trees, stay tuned.

I was thinking about possibly planting some ever-bearing cold hearty pear trees in spring as well, the only thing with that is I'd have to prune then quite often to stop branch breakage. Do you think it's worth it? Let me know.

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Old 12-22-2016, 11:06 AM
  #2  
Giant Nontypical
 
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Unless the deer are really hurting for groceries, I wouldn't expect them to utilize the downed trees much, if at all.

Light is generally the limiting factor in a forest environment. Now that you have cleared some spaces, light may be reaching the soil where it previously was not. I would think about scattering some seed in those areas of something the deer would want to eat. Grain, clover, or something like that.
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Old 12-26-2016, 02:21 AM
  #3  
Spike
 
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Have planted pear trees. First batch died be cause the deer ate all their leave off. Second batch I made chicken wire cages around for the first three years. They are doing well. really help to bring the deer in. I'd recommend them. Good tree to plant and grow pretty fast.
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Old 12-26-2016, 04:13 AM
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Deer will most certainly utilize downed trees to eat the buds. It is not unusual for deer to show up at the sound of chainsaws in areas being logged.
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Old 12-26-2016, 06:32 AM
  #5  
Giant Nontypical
 
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Hint: Both of you should be using hearing and eye protection when using that chainsaw!

Last edited by Topgun 3006; 12-26-2016 at 06:28 PM. Reason: spelling
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Old 12-29-2016, 05:44 AM
  #6  
Nontypical Buck
 
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Default ha, I always looked for the deer

to make the shooting lanes. If the deer didn't use it, there were no shooting lanes.
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Old 12-29-2016, 05:52 AM
  #7  
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Default ha, I always looked for the deer

to make the shooting lanes. If the deer didn't use it, there were no shooting lanes.
Never grew a food plot. Knew too many farmers, who didn't have time to hunt. One would leave a rifle on the porch of the farm house, in case he got a chance at a shot. Learned early the difference between a farmer and a hunter. Never tried to mix the two.
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Old 12-29-2016, 04:44 PM
  #8  
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I never clear "shooting lanes". It doesn't make a bit of sense to me to go find where the deer travel and then start cutting down the forest.
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