Hunting clearcuts

[jasonl84]

Just hung a tree stand in a recent clear cut. Some 40 acres and I'm in the bottom corner. Have not had a game cam in the area until today but found some really nice tracks along the wood line.. First October hunt since i started bow hunting (Made sure i was going to get a multi pass after last season.) 

But was wondering if anyone has done this before???  And why would deer even be in the cut?? The place is a mess,, hard to walk through, No vegetation but few group of trees..  My guess is there only in it at night but where I'm hunting that seems to be the case anywhere.   

[jackmaster]

If it's a new cut youd be suprised, but mostly a deer will just be moving through or using it for bedding if it's that much of a mess.. I hope you hung your stand back in side the tree line a little? It'll help you from sticking out like a sore thumb.. Be patient, if there is good sign then you will get a chance eventually.. Good luck

[grundy53]

Deer love walking on soft dirt.

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[trophyhunt]

Myself, I can't stand hunting clear cuts, I've never had much luck with them.  Hope it works for you!  Don't give up around noon, stay in your stand, good luck!

[jackmaster]

Myself, I can't stand hunting clear cuts, I've never had much luck with them.  Hope it works for you!  Don't give up around noon, stay in your stand, good luck!

thats cause you run out of bullets , just like old man yager

[grundy53]

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[Alchase]

I would setup about 50 yards outside the cut within the tree line off a main game trail.

[HunterofWA]

That's almost exactly the description of where I hunt! I hunt a 40 acre clear-cut that is about 7 years old, has about 10 feet tall of growth from alders, maples and plain old brush. What I have seen from watching this cut for the past 3-4 years, is that it's primarily used by does as a bedding and feeding area during the summer, and it is HEAVILY used as a winter bedding area because it has a steep western slope that gets a good amount of warm sun after a cold front. My advice to you is, hunt near a well used water source with a favorable wind, stay watchful, etc... Has this place had and hunting pressure before? if it hasn't, and It's at a lil' higher elevation, then I think you might have some good opportunities at a buck. If you can, get a trail cam. It's amazing how much more you will learn. Good luck and let us know how you do!

[jasonl84]

In a cedar about 18 ft or so.. But I am more so on the edge of the wood line. I'd rather be in 20 yards but it got thick quick. But I'm in a pocket where the deer would come out of the treeline 20 yards pass me. Got an idea to cover any leg movement and cold temps with some camo cloth, as long as it doesn't flap around.   

[jasonl84]

Tons of pressure. Been wondering if i should tell where i hunt to maybe get some advice.See hunters all the time. Going into buck only season has me worried cause I've only seen 3 bucks in daylight and only around Dec 7. Tons of night time bucks on cam

[JakeLand]

Wait until the last couple days of October and those nocturnal bucks will be out all day and you will see them just find the does

[HunterofWA]

Tons of pressure. Been wondering if i should tell where i hunt to maybe get some advice.See hunters all the time. Going into buck only season has me worried cause I've only seen 3 bucks in daylight and only around Dec 7. Tons of night time bucks on cam

Seems like I'm gonna be in the same situation as you are soon. Got a call from the land owner saying that she did't want me to shoot the mama deer, rabbits, and sounded like she got all teary n' all kinda environmentalist stuff so... I'm gonna be searching for some new property soon. I wish people would understand... 

[fishnfur]

Just hung a tree stand in a recent clear cut. Some 40 acres and I'm in the bottom corner. Have not had a game cam in the area until today but found some really nice tracks along the wood line.. First October hunt since i started bow hunting (Made sure i was going to get a multi pass after last season.) 

But was wondering if anyone has done this before???  And why would deer even be in the cut?? The place is a mess,, hard to walk through, No vegetation but few group of trees..  My guess is there only in it at night but where I'm hunting that seems to be the case anywhere.

Yup, for the most part, they are in there just at night, if at all.  There were deer using that territory before it was cut.  They continue to use it after it is cut, but not for feeding, at least for a year or so.  Come rut time, a buck may walk or run right through the middle of it, but that is a low percentage hunt option. 

What you'd really like to hunt over is a 3 -8 year old cut that has lots of vegetation regrowth for food and reprod to provide cover for the deer to hide.  Also, you should try to be at least 400 yards or more from a major road and in an area that is not visible from a road.

All is not lost for your spot if you back up into the timber a bit.  Typically, the animals will develop a trail just inside the timbered edge of the cut, because they want to be hidden as they travel around the new cut.  If you have good trails near your stand and have shooting lanes to them, you may see bucks traveling by in search of does in late-Oct.

[brew]

deer are in the clearcuts because that is their main food source.  sun=light=new growth and that has the most nutritional value.  deer will be in these areas as long as they are undisturbed during the day (basically all summer long)--human pressure makes them change their patterns a.k.a. go "nocturnal" and use these areas in more low light conditions.  sometimes putting a stand further back in the timber makes sense because deer will use trails to get into the cuts during dusk and you are just intercepting them on their way to the feed before it is dark.  also bucks will "circle the perimeter" of a cut during the rut trying to locate a hot doe. you have to hunt where the deer want to feed...an area that has undisturbed does in it will eventually have bucks in it

[fishnfur]

Correct, but his cut is brand new - no food from the sounds of it.

If you're getting lots of bucks at night on cam,then you're probably in a good spot.

[jasonl84]

Every thing behind is thick downhill to a swamp with 6-8 yr old firs along the left side

[Turner89]

That's a brand new cut there. I myself wouldn't put anytime into that cut this year. Just going by pic.
If you do Hunt it, watch the 6-8 year old cut.
 Next year it should be pretty good, and better the following year.

[fishnfur]

That's about what I thought it looked like.  Plenty of bucks have been shot in cuts like that, but as I said before, the odds are lower there than in that of a 5 year old clearcut.  That main area as been made temporarily useless to deer (no food, cover, protection from the elements), though the islands of leave trees may hold some animals.  The edges that didn't get destroyed during the cut often go wild with new growth, possibly in the first year, and for sure in the second after suddenly becoming exposed to full sun, and will serve as both a staging area where animals wait (for dark, or to do predator checks) prior to entering the cut before feeding, and as a food source as the foliage proliferates.

I'm not much for hunting cuts, nor sitting in a stand, but I do hunt in both those ways as necessary to accomplish my planned outing.  You just need to decide whether this spot of yours has enough animal activity to justify betting a chunk of your season on sticking it out there.  There's still plenty of time to move your stand if you decide to do so.  If you're hunting public land, there is always a danger that someone could use/damage or even steal your stand.  Plus, you have a large number of hunters frequenting the area, which will keep deer daytime activity to a minimum and usually, occurring in well secluded areas.  If your trail cam pics are from the area immediately around your stand, and your seeing buck activity, I'd be pretty comfortable recommending you stay where you are.   Does on cam would be a very good thing too.

Good luck!

BTW - The swamp - likely a beaver pond around these parts, may help funnel any traveling deer through a narrower area, where you might expect to see more animals as the rut approaches.  There are likely many trails in that area already.  Worth investigating to determine whether there's a good pinch point in there somewhere.

[Old Man Yager]

Myself, I can't stand hunting clear cuts, I've never had much luck with them.  Hope it works for you!  Don't give up around noon, stay in your stand, good luck!

thats cause you run out of bullets , just like old man yager

Damn, I can't even argue with that, cause it's mostly true!! I been thinking about going back to a lever action so I can get 7 rounds down range in a hurry.

[fishnfur]

   

[scoutdog346]

I think 7 rounds is NOT legal...idk is it?...i bow hunt...

[grundy53]

I think 7 rounds is NOT legal...idk is it?...i bow hunt...

Perfectly legal

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[jackmaster]

Myself, I can't stand hunting clear cuts, I've never had much luck with them.  Hope it works for you!  Don't give up around noon, stay in your stand, good luck!

thats cause you run out of bullets , just like old man yager

Damn, I can't even argue with that, cause it's mostly true!! I been thinking about going back to a lever action so I can get 7 rounds down range in a hurry.

to bad it wasn't legal to hunt with my A.R you could use that, 30 rnds in the mag one in the pipe you could chuck lead all over the cut!!  I told you I would teach you how to shoot if you'd like