Observation Sits over Clear Cuts

[Tim H]

As a bigwoods hunter, it's difficult to put in observation sits. I don't get to shine/glass open fields because there aren't any. So I've been pondering if I could setup and observe clearcuts an hour before dark to see what comes out.

Any thoughts?

[J Gilbert]

As a bigwoods hunter, it's difficult to put in observation sits. I don't get to shine/glass open fields because there aren't any. So I've been pondering if I could setup and observe clearcuts an hour before dark to see what comes out.

Any thoughts?

I'm planning to do exactly this fall- I've never hunted beast-style before but have some clear cuts I can observe (sometimes out to 600 yards or so) and lock down where the deer travel and bed. This is actually how I've done most of my hunting over the last few years, but as the clear cuts on my property grow and my style of hunting is changing, I'm thinking this will be a decent way for me to shorten my learning curve on dialing in deer bedding.

One thing I've noticed here in GA is that a lot of deer will bed in clear cuts before daylight when it's colder (cold here being anything below freezing, generally no lower than low teens) and as the sun rises and starts heating the ground, the deer will move to a secondary bedding location more in the timber for the day. I've spent a lot of time hunting over the clear cuts in the last few years and typically don't see many/any deer until around 8am, but then it will be a fairly steady stream until 11am or so as they relocate. In the evening, I see them coming out to browse in the clear cuts starting an hour or two before dark, but I almost never see a buck older than 1.5 in the evening.

[Tim H]

As a bigwoods hunter, it's difficult to put in observation sits. I don't get to shine/glass open fields because there aren't any. So I've been pondering if I could setup and observe clearcuts an hour before dark to see what comes out.

Any thoughts?

I'm planning to do exactly this fall- I've never hunted beast-style before but have some clear cuts I can observe (sometimes out to 600 yards or so) and lock down where the deer travel and bed. This is actually how I've done most of my hunting over the last few years, but as the clear cuts on my property grow and my style of hunting is changing, I'm thinking this will be a decent way for me to shorten my learning curve on dialing in deer bedding.

One thing I've noticed here in GA is that a lot of deer will bed in clear cuts before daylight when it's colder (cold here being anything below freezing, generally no lower than low teens) and as the sun rises and starts heating the ground, the deer will move to a secondary bedding location more in the timber for the day. I've spent a lot of time hunting over the clear cuts in the last few years and typically don't see many/any deer until around 8am, but then it will be a fairly steady stream until 11am or so as they relocate. In the evening, I see them coming out to browse in the clear cuts starting an hour or two before dark, but I almost never see a buck older than 1.5 in the evening.

My thought process is very similar to yours, however I've never even hunted over clearcuts so I'm not sure what to expect. I suppose I want to accomplish a few things during these sits. I want to practice setting up my gear/camera equipment and also get ready for season while also observing. I just think by us, the clearcuts are the best option for observing without spooking deer (as long as the wind is right and I'm a ways off from the edges).

[jhpa]

I was thinking to try the same thing this fall, in addition to observing some suspected power line crossings.

[WV Bowhunter]

Probably varies a lot with different terrain, years of growth in the clearcut and time of year. I know the hill country clear cuts I hunt, you can’t see anything until after leaf drop. Even then it’s only bits and pieces that I can make out with binos.

[J Gilbert]

Probably varies a lot with different terrain, years of growth in the clearcut and time of year. I know the hill country clear cuts I hunt, you can’t see anything until after leaf drop. Even then it’s only bits and pieces that I can make out with binos.

This is a good point, I can't see much in the clear cut itself until a few frosts have killed everything. As we get deeper into winter, I can see more due to the native grasses/weeds dying back- before this happens, I rarely am able to see a deer stand up in their bed or even just browsing around. The majority of my observations prior to this are on a wide road that the owner keeps cleared year-round for access to the back of the cut to keep an eye on the planted trees. It hunts more like a Texas sendero until late October/November here- a long straight road where deer come out to feed in the food plots or on corn (which is legal in that part of the state).

[J Gilbert]

double post

[J Gilbert]

Probably varies a lot with different terrain, years of growth in the clearcut and time of year. I know the hill country clear cuts I hunt, you can’t see anything until after leaf drop. Even then it’s only bits and pieces that I can make out with binos.

This is a good point, I can't see much in the clear cut itself until a few frosts have killed everything. As we get deeper into winter, I can see more due to the native grasses/weeds dying back- before this happens, I rarely am able to see a deer stand up in their bed or even just browsing around. The majority of my observations prior to this are on a wide road that the owner keeps cleared year-round for access to the back of the cut to keep an eye on the planted trees. It hunts more like a Texas sendero until late October/November here- a long straight road where deer come out to feed in the food plots or on corn (which is legal in that part of the state). Most of the action is simply crossing back and forth across the road from one bedding area to another, however.

[J Gilbert]

double post

[sureshotscott]

Late season (January) I hunted a ridge that overlooked a clearcut in some public hill country. Saw a doe family group make their way in front of me (way out of range) but revisited their route during turkey season. Found lots of sign. Have a cam up there now, looking forward to hunting it this year.

[cmbrown337]

I definitely think you can do an observation sit on a clear cut. Treat it just like an ag field. I hunted a clear cut last year and will be hunting the same one again this year. I had a trail camera up most of last season and was getting pics of deer at all times of the day. But I definitely think an observation sit on a clear cut would be beneficial. Keep us posted on your results!

[DaveT1963]

I use observation sits to try to determine if a buck is in the area, to locate potential bedding. However, IMHO, bucks very seldom repeat patterns so precisely that I can rely on them to kill a MATURE buck...... so the observation sit just confirms I should move in. Observation stands/sits gets me in the ball game, same day scouting and use of maps/aerials puts me in the right location.

[Bigburner]

I hunt around clearcuts a lot but even though I may put in an observation sit I hunt that sit to kill. Like Dave said you’re not going to pick up a usable pattern most times if at all. Most often I find beds just inside on the downwind sides with entrance/exit trail on points or irregularities on the transition. But you need to tuck in close and be able to shoot to those spots or set up on a food source closest to the bed. In my experience the bucks hold tight to that cover especially if there is an older open stand of timber adjoining the cutover. I don’t have topography so I can’t tie that in as a factor for bedding tendencies. So what I see a lot is a buck maybe coming out of those cuts and maybe moving 75 or 100 yards out of the bedding at the time when you can barely see through your peep site. And most times I just sat a little too far away or sat the wrong trail. But anytime I have gone back to get back on that buck the next day even using a different route of entry it’s a ghost town. I just concluded for the most part that that buck crossed my trail somewhere in his core area and he either hung super tight to bedding or skipped town. So long story short observe all you want but put yourself in a position where you can put an arrow in something. Sticking a camera in a spot like that that I’m going to hunt near but not check is something I do quite a bit. That way I get a picture of how the cutover is used and get that historical data that I can use for the following years. You have to catch those clearcuts in the right stage of developement bc you will get a window of time and then it will most often transition out of preferential bedding.

[headgear]

I tried this for years before finally giving up. Sure I saw some does and occasional younger bucks but the old bigwoods bucks are use to endless cover and they just don't seem to want to step out into the open all that much in daylight. Not saying it can't happen but you are going to put in a lot of time with not much to show for it. If I were going to try it again I might scout 10-20 clearcuts and see if I can find some fresh sign before even trying an observation sit in the bigwoods. Even better I would just try and shine some clearcuts, probably much better odds that way. I would slip in on foot to shine, trucks seem to send them running for cover even in the dark. Worse yet the bucks are probably there but the might be in a clearcut that is 2-3 years old and you won't be able to see or shine them anyway so good luck.

[strutnrut716]

I tried this for years before finally giving up. Sure I saw some does and occasional younger bucks but the old bigwoods bucks are use to endless cover and they just don't seem to want to step out into the open all that much in daylight. Not saying it can't happen but you are going to put in a lot of time with not much to show for it. If I were going to try it again I might scout 10-20 clearcuts and see if I can find some fresh sign before even trying an observation sit in the bigwoods. Even better I would just try and shine some clearcuts, probably much better odds that way. I would slip in on foot to shine, trucks seem to send them running for cover even in the dark. Worse yet the bucks are probably there but the might be in a clearcut that is 2-3 years old and you won't be able to see or shine them anyway so good luck.

I would agree with the previous responses. One thing I find in northern Wis is the clear cuts usually have easy motor vehicle access because of the logging. But if they gate it or close it off after they are done, then that is MUCH better..