New Clearcuts/Ongoing Cutting - How soon to hunt

[Extremesolo]

I hunt a piece of state land in Central PA and there was a major logging operation there 5 years ago. The timbered almost the entire ridge from bottom to top where we used to hunt (~200 acres). Since it is all now one huge clearcut we scouted and found new locations to hunt even farther from the parking lot. We do hunt hard and have continued to be successful but now this year they have again started cutting additional areas. They started right before hunting season and are still cutting it right now. We have several stands near where they are cutting but we avoided them this archery season. Our rifle season starts after Thanksgiving and I am considering a stand near the new clearcut. My question for you guys who have hunted in the past or are currently hunting a similar situation is - How will the deer be effected by this logging? We talked to one of the guys on his way out the other day and he said he saw a nice buck on top of the mountain in his log landing spot. Would you consider hunting near the new clearcut even if they are within a few hundred yards and currently cutting? I am not positive if they will be allowed to cut during our firearms season but they certainly were cutting during archery as I could hear all of their ruckus. I will be taking my 11 year old out with me for at least a day or two and I do not want to waste our time in a non-productive spot.

[AttackMode]

I am almost 100% positive they will not be allowed to log during firearms season if it's on state game lands, but to be sure it wouldn't hurt to call the regional office and ask. They will have an answer for you. Then you can go from there and formulate a game plan.

[Extremesolo]

It is actually on a piece of state forest so not sure it will have the same regulations as the state game lands. All of the trucks do use a state game lands access road to get to the work area though.

[djw5250]

sometimes I wish they would just leave the woods alone in PA, they are always harvesting timber on our states land. Im not saying that its terrible for the land but it seems to never end. I would stay out until the late season, I could see the deer hitting the tops hard after a good snow.

[AttackMode]

Well i think with it being a PGC access road it will still be off limits. I've talked to a land manager before and he told me pretty much when it's firearms season all logging, military training, etc stops for 2 wks. If it does i say get in and hunt the top edge.

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[Extremesolo]

I sent an email to the area forester to get an answer. Hopefully he gets back to me with a more concrete answer regarding when they will be logging. Any other experiences with hunting fresh clearcuts and how soon to get in there?

[Southern Man]

My question for you guys who have hunted in the past or are currently hunting a similar situation is - How will the deer be effected by this logging?

A 250 acre farm I hunted many years ago was logged right before season. Scouting that year the tracks were everywhere. At night when the loggers left, the deer came in. The loggers even commented on the amount of fresh tracks they seen each day. When the logging was done, the deer were still there and it only got better over time. Logging creates new growth and that means food for the deer. They love it. Movement patterns changed over time. It was like a new piece of property.
On a particular piece of public land here they used to log in small 10-15-20 acre clearcuts. Those places were golden for deer activity, regardless of the age of the cut.

I wouldn't get discouraged by the logging where you hunt.

Dr James Kroll once wrote an article on clearcuts and how they affect deer from cutting til 20 years later. How it benefited them as far as cover, food, and travel. I think that was back in the early to mid 90's in North American Whitetail magazine. I don't know if you can find that online now or not. But a very good read.

[Extremesolo]

I can see the hunting benefit of the clearcuts and their obvious benefits for the deer for many years. Where it has become difficult is the fact that the initial cut is literally hundreds of acres in size. They only take the trunks and leave all of the tops and branches. Within a year or two the entire area is practically impossible to walk through with all of the briars and small growth. When this takes up a large portion of your hunting ground it makes patterning deer and actually hunting them a real challenge. The current operation is approximately 70 acres and next year there is another 80 acre clearcut planned as well. I would like to think on a smaller 10-20 acre cuts I could pattern and figure out the deer movement but on this large scale, there is no real reason for the deer to ever leave the cuts and that makes it difficult to hunt them. I believe they are on the land, just not in an area where I can hunt them effectively.

[headgear]

You want to be in the there either hunting the "impossible" thick regrowth or hunt around the loggers but maybe not too close. As mentioned above the equipment won't scare them and they will stop by to feed on the treetops at night. My best hunting comes after they log, in the 2-10 years after a cut its thick and the deer bed and feed right in there. During the rut the bucks will cruise this areas for does so try and cut them off between the cuts or on the downwind side.

[seeds]

I can see the hunting benefit of the clearcuts and their obvious benefits for the deer for many years. Where it has become difficult is the fact that the initial cut is literally hundreds of acres in size. They only take the trunks and leave all of the tops and branches. Within a year or two the entire area is practically impossible to walk through with all of the briars and small growth. When this takes up a large portion of your hunting ground it makes patterning deer and actually hunting them a real challenge. The current operation is approximately 70 acres and next year there is another 80 acre clearcut planned as well. I would like to think on a smaller 10-20 acre cuts I could pattern and figure out the deer movement but on this large scale, there is no real reason for the deer to ever leave the cuts and that makes it difficult to hunt them. I believe they are on the land, just not in an area where I can hunt them effectively.

I'd rather have good habitat that's hard to hunt than poor habitat that's easy.

I equate a lot of deer hunting scenarios to walleye fishing....It's evident at several public shore fishing spots on a local river. There's guys who hate losing jigs in rocks or wood. They'd rather catch far fewer fish and never have to retie. They cast where they're fairly certain they'll have no problems.... Then there's guys who know it's part of the game and simply adapt. They cast into the snaggy spots and lose a bunch of jigs. They may tie their own jigs and stingers,have a "weak point" built into their rigs so they don't lose everything,whatever. They catch most of the fish.

[admiral04]

I live in NW pa and have an area I hunt that is similar. Every yr they clearcut another section. The largest buck I saw this yr was 300 yds from a log landing where they were cutting and while they were cutting. I could hear saws, skidders and yelling all day. I didnt kill the buck but at the end of my hunt I found where he was bedded and ALOTof fresh rubs. I also saw several doe and 2 smaller buck that day. I think when they first start cutting it may spook the deer but once its a routine daily thing the deer grow used to it and just stay out of the way. You could almost use it to your advantage just like using other hunters to your advantage. Thats just my .02

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[Bigburner]

A chainsaw is a dinner bell. All those tops on the ground are incredible food source right after or during logging operations. I've been on the logger end and now on the forester end and always on the hunter end and those particular scenerios aren't bad ones to be in right now especially with cold temps and deer actively seeking food sources.

[Edcyclopedia]

My question for you guys who have hunted in the past or are currently hunting a similar situation is - How will the deer be effected by this logging?

A 250 acre farm I hunted many years ago was logged right before season. Scouting that year the tracks were everywhere. At night when the loggers left, the deer came in. The loggers even commented on the amount of fresh tracks they seen each day. When the logging was done, the deer were still there and it only got better over time. Logging creates new growth and that means food for the deer. They love it. Movement patterns changed over time. It was like a new piece of property.
On a particular piece of public land here they used to log in small 10-15-20 acre clearcuts. Those places were golden for deer activity, regardless of the age of the cut.

I wouldn't get discouraged by the logging where you hunt.

Dr James Kroll once wrote an article on clearcuts and how they affect deer from cutting til 20 years later. How it benefited them as far as cover, food, and travel. I think that was back in the early to mid 90's in North American Whitetail magazine. I don't know if you can find that online now or not. But a very good read.

X2
Buffet of the NORTH!!!