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Logging?

Buckhunter

Buckhunter

New Member
Well I just found out tonight that the spot I had all my hopes on is logged off!They took over a 100 tree's out of the area!I'm just about frustrated enough to just hang my bow up and say to heck with it.
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I was just wondering what you guy's thought about what this will do to the local deer herd.The area is in a river bottom that has alway's been a great spot and pretty much been a travel corridor.will this change there pattern's all together or will there still be movement?
 
it might change things a bit but i'd continue hunting there. it might take awhile to figure things out again but with all the ground cover it's going to be pretty good for bedding. that happened to me and the logged area is lousy with deer sign now. give it a chance. i'd go in there and find tree tops and set up on the ground and rattle if i were you. good cover and you'll be able to hear things coming pretty easily.
 
Don't despair, logging can be the best medicine imaginable for a deer timber! It is certainly possible that deer will modify their use of a recently logged area, but the longer term value of getting more light to the forest floor and hence more undergrowth will be significant.

I have hunted long enough to have spent time in certain timbers both before and after logging and I can tell you that the "after" logging results in much better deer hunting.
 
This same thing happened to me after last season and I hunt the river bottom also. I felt just like you do, I was so angry about it. However the more I thought about it I felt it may better it for me because it opened up more shooting lanes and visibility. It turns out that I haven't seen any decrease at all in movement through my hunting ground. The one thing I did notice this year is that I have seen deer bed down there now instead of simply passing through to go feed.
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I have never put a post or reply on this great site but this was to close to home. I hunt with Buckhunter and what he left out was that the logging was done last week! If anybody has any experience with this happening this close to primetime please let us know. Thanks
 
This exact same thing is happening to me right now!! The are taking out 85 trees in my honey-hole!! I sat in my stand in this area this week to see if anything was moving and didn't see a deer! But before I left I checked out several of the major trails and there were plenty of fresh tracks in the mud so I they must be traveling after dark. I am going to leave this spot until late season when the deer are driven back to the heavy cover. T$
 
if they're finished logging i'd bet money that they'll be using the place again in the next few weeks. with the rut comig up and deer moving everywhere you'll be seeing deer in that thick stuff. the only problem i see would be that all the major trails may now have tree tops on them and it may take awhile for the deer to re-establish new travel paths. i would maybe go in and cut some paths for the deer to run on. you would lose nothing by this because as you said a week ago people were cutting down the trees and the sound of saws wouldn't disturb things too much. you might even be able to establish a trail next to a good stand tree, even if it doesn't produce this year you'll have a nice path started and easily accessible for next year.
 
As long as it was done properly it most likely will do nothing but make it better hunting if it was good to begin with.

Do not give up. Even when the loggers are actively working it the deer will adapt to their schedule and you would be surprised what happens when the trucks pull out each day.
 
Thank's for all the reply's from everyone,we are going to go ahead and hunt this area tomarrow morning and I will let you all know what happen's.From everything you guy's have said it sound's like it might just make this spot even better then it already was!Anyway thank's for all the info it is great to have a sight like this,Thanks again Tony!!!
Good luck to everyone
 
Buckhunter,
I agree with most of the above. I've been doing TSI (timber stand improvement) on my place for years. One of the reasons is to open up the canopy, let more light in and increase growth in the understory. Deer prefer edges and early succession timber not mature timber for most activities. For the next 5-10 years this should be great cover, food and bedding.

As far as the recent activity, I don't think you have a problem. They are doing logging on one of the properties I hunt at this time. Several of the people saw a very good buck 'stop by' several times during the day and watch. They seem to know which human activities are threatening and which aren't.

Of course travel patterns will change depending upon where trees have been dropped trails that have been blocked etc.

I agree with muddy that this is a prime time to do some cutting in the dropped tops to influence deer movement in a way that favors some of your favorite stands.

I think you will also see some browsing on tree top twigs that were previously out of reach. Many years ago I cut down a small 'junk tree' (elm) that was blocking a shooting lane then got in the stand. The first deer down the trail was an 8 point. He stopped when he saw the tree laying there, walked over and started feeding on the branches.

Good hunting!
Old Buck
 
Well we hunted this morning and seen alot of sign in the area,my partner seen one small yearling buck about 9am.I did not see anything. We did have to make a couple stand adjustment's but overall it look's like the deer are adjusting well.It really look's weird down there but I guess we'll get used to it.
Once again thank's for all the info guy's.
 
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