Pine plantations advice

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Bhartman1203
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Pine plantations advice

Unread postby Bhartman1203 » Tue Jan 24, 2017 4:35 pm

Acquired permission to hunt a pine plantation that a close friend's family owns. It had a row thinking at the beginning of 2016. This year was the first year i got to hunt it, and when I set my camera up in July I had pictures of some really nice bucks. One side of the property is bordered by a cow pasture and the other side borders thick wooded area. A creek runs through the middle of the property and runs along the cow pasture side of the property. Only got to hunt it a handful of times this year but never saw any deer, even with the wind in my favor. Never hunted pines before this year, mainly hardwoods near my house or swamps at the eastern part of my state when bear season is in. Does anybody have any advice on how to approach this type of property? Saw all sorts of signs along the properties fire lane that runs parallel to the creek, and hunted where there were signs of deer crossing the fire lane but never saw any deer. Curious if my approach is wrong since I've only been bow hunting for a few years.


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Twenty Up
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Re: Pine plantations advice

Unread postby Twenty Up » Wed Jan 25, 2017 9:19 am

I've hunted some pioneer pine stands with 5-6 years of undergrowth and always had good luck hunting does. I've never seen many mature bucks use it though, mostly 2.5YO bucks and spikes.. I've been burnt from getting picked off in the open mature pines as well as clipping twigs you can't see from 20 yards away...

I've seen mature bucks skirt the edges of these areas cruising during the rut but I've never seen them bed in these areas. BUT pine plantations can vary depending on which year growth you're on, how mature the pines are etc..
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Crazinamatese
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Re: Pine plantations advice

Unread postby Crazinamatese » Wed Jan 25, 2017 9:36 am

I do okay hunting along the transitions. I hunt a few properties like the one you describe. The fire breaks usually have a trail or scrape lines but never see much daylight action. I usually see bucks come into the pines right at dark working their way across or along transitions. This is from my experiences.
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Jonny
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Re: Pine plantations advice

Unread postby Jonny » Wed Jan 25, 2017 9:41 am

I personally have not had good luck hunting pines. To me they seem like an area that might be between point A and point B but no rhyme or reason on where they should walk. Not saying it couldn't be done, I just don't like it. My best luck has been hunting the edges of it where it borders hardwoods, river bottoms, etc.
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Re: Pine plantations advice

Unread postby bigwoodshuntn » Wed Jan 25, 2017 10:09 am

I agree with the guys above. I can usually find some great sign along pine plantations. But it appears to almost always be made at night. When I was in high school yet I remember a specific spot of pines we hunted around alot(I'm sure more than I should have) and hunting the edges didn't produce much for me but once I got further back past the pines along the edge of a swamp I saw a nice buck and had a ton more on camera. Looking back I should have done things a little differently.

But to directly answer your question I'm sure deer move through those pines, I would just be interested in where they are coming from and get back further to get a better chance of seeing them in the daylight.
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Re: Pine plantations advice

Unread postby Ol'DanBoone » Thu Jan 26, 2017 3:49 pm

Well, how old of s plantation is it??? Has it been thinned out, or whats the deel?? Whats the saliant feature??? The creek maybe??? Is the terrain undulating??? I dang sure wouldnt just write it off as a lost cause just yet. Id get in there and go over it with a fine tooth comb.
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Re: Pine plantations advice

Unread postby jwilkstn » Thu Jan 26, 2017 5:50 pm

I've hunted in and around planted pines alot, and everything hinges on the age of the pines,followed by the habitat bordering them. I know enough about them to see multiple patterns of use, but not enough about them to be able to help :think: :hand:
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Re: Pine plantations advice

Unread postby Wlog » Thu Jan 26, 2017 11:33 pm

Age/height of the pines is a big factor. Big huge mature pines with no undergrowth aren't that appealing. Young pines with a lot of other thick cover and browse interspersed can be a magnet.
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Re: Pine plantations advice

Unread postby Bhartman1203 » Fri Jan 27, 2017 2:25 pm

Thanks for the advice. I'll put it to use next season.
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Re: Pine plantations advice

Unread postby stash59 » Fri Jan 27, 2017 3:10 pm

Size does matter. We have quite a few Christmas tree farms near me. The larger ones can hold quite a few deer at times. Also had some near where I grew up farther north. We've kicked a few good bucks out of them while making drives. They can hold some doe family groups. If they're there during the rut the bucks will cruise the edges or even push right into them if the right terrain and cover is there.

Some of the pine stands grown for pulp wood. They'd remove all but the highest branches at the top. This allowed a thick understory to grow in for awhile. Which would get use.

I've seen some higher than average rubs in even the more open stands. On some trees with large diameters. With scrapes mixed in and around the pine stands. So it may at least show you a good buck is nearby if you place a camera there. Then all you need to do is find the nearest bedding cover and go from there.
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Crazinamatese
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Re: Pine plantations advice

Unread postby Crazinamatese » Fri Jan 27, 2017 3:21 pm

Good point about tree height. Those pine sections with young ground scrubbing trees can hold alot of deer. But getting a shot is nearly impossible unless you catch one in a fire break or along a transition.
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thwack16
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Re: Pine plantations advice

Unread postby thwack16 » Sat Jan 28, 2017 9:04 am

You've received some good advice. How big is this pine plantation? Hill country or flat?

I assume you now have logging roads and loading zones traversing it. One of my favorite places to hunt in pine plantations are at the convergence of the main logging roads, loading zones, and what I call "secondary logging roads". The common logging practice around here is to open up a big road through the place and then space out loading zones. From these loading zones you'll have what I'm calling the secondary logging roads that jut out away from the loading zone like spokes on a wheel. Typically these roads follow the terrain if you're in hill country. These secondary roads are usually unkept after the loggers leave and make perfect trails for the deer. A little scouting and you can find which one are preferred by bucks. Most of these I've found are littered with rubs and scrapes.

Below is a scenario that I have hunted a few times.
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I have marked the following picture. The main logging road in green. The secondary in red. During the pre-rut, the red trail is cruised hard.
Image
Pic from my one hunt there this season
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You can't tell it from the above pictures, but the terrain on each side of the loading zone is steep and this place is lightly pressured; therefore, most of the deer will cruise directly through the loading zone. However, more times than not, I have found these spots where the bucks will walk just off the edge of the loading zone in the cover.

I currently have a pine plantation that I'm trying to hunt. A flat 35 acres of 10 year old pines. This will get both easier to hunt and more enticing for deer to live in after the first thinning in a few years. For now I'm basically hunting the edges as you can see from my icons.
Image

One thing about hunting pine plantations is that it's always changing. That can be both good and bad :think: . In my late teens and early 20s, I hunted an 80 acre pine section of timber company land, between the time it had been thinned a second time and clearcut, that was landlocked by us and another landowner. Both of the adjoining landowners had rights to hunt the place in hopes that the timber company would receive an easement when they logged. The roads were completely unkept and with culverts blown in the ditch so there was no way to get a tractor or 4 wheeler in. It was a buck thicket and I killed a few good bucks in there and missed an absolute stud. It's been 5 years since it was cut and it still hurts :cry:
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flinginairos
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Re: Pine plantations advice

Unread postby flinginairos » Sat Jan 28, 2017 9:17 am

jwilkstn wrote:I've hunted in and around planted pines alot, and everything hinges on the age of the pines,followed by the habitat bordering them. I know enough about them to see multiple patterns of use, but not enough about them to be able to help :think: :hand:


Our last lease was 140 acres and 120 of it was row planted pines. There was a creek running up the center of the property and three "hollows" that were mainly maple/sycamore and brush. All of our action was on the edges of the pines. The bucks liked to cruise the edges 1-2 rows back scent checking the openings on the downwind side. The first year we didn't have much luck because we had never hunted pines. The second year myself and my dad both killed nice bucks and my buddy missed a giant. The pines on our place were 15+ years old tho and fairly tall. It got clear cut this year and we lost it. I miss it!
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Divergent
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Re: Pine plantations advice

Unread postby Divergent » Thu Feb 16, 2017 8:33 pm

The best time to hunt pines is on a rainy and/or windy day. Mature bucks seem to come out of the woodwork...especially on a rainy morning.
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Re: Pine plantations advice

Unread postby TNstalker » Fri Feb 17, 2017 1:27 am

I've never killed in them but have had some chances at some old bucks in pines the short a denser the pines the better it seems to me. Buddy of mine has jumped some Giants this year scouting pines when it was raining. Both where asleep under them. How to hunt older more open pines couldn't tell ya. If that picture above is what they look like it maybe a better rut spot.


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