Logging and Deer hunting: opinions needed

Jo6pak · November 14, 2011, 07:20 PM

OK, so here's my problem.
Wisconsin's 9-day gun deer hunt opens this Saturday. They have been planning on logging the land that I hunt, which in itself wouldn't be an issue. The loggers weren't supposed to show up til the second week in December.
But they started logging it Friday.

The roads and trails are all blcoked and there are hundreds of trees down on the 200 acres. They say most of the lumber will be cleared out before Friday.

I figure, even if they get it cleared, all the activity will push the deer out of the area, at least for a while.
We have 5 guys hunting the property, which is about 300 acres, 220 or so is wooded and the rest tilled. About 2/3s of the wooded area is being logged.

So, we are coming up with plans to make the best of it.
Should we...
1. Hunt as usual and hope for the best?

2. Not hunt the opening weekend and give it a few days to calm down. Hoping that hunters in surrounding areas will push deer back into the area.

3. Start out driving the untouched 1/3 of the farm.

4. Suggestions welcome

kaylorinhi · November 14, 2011, 07:40 PM

Have all the guys sit on known paths, feeding and bedding areas the first weekend to check the movement and such. The Deer have probably been scared off for a while, but it is worth it. If that doesnt work then drive the crap out of the rest!!

ZeroJunk · November 14, 2011, 08:08 PM

We have had 1760 acres leased for about 15 years. They have logged it all now doing 200 to 300 acres at a time. I was surprised at how many deer you would see in the cut overs eating the acorns left behind. It really depends on how much cover is left. They will also have to leave a boundary uncut 50 or so feet on each side of any drainage. I'm not sure what the authority considers a drainage, but on our lease any continuous running spring was left uncut between the spring and the river. It will make good hunting spots. If there is little cover the deer may not come in until very late, so set up on the edges where you can.

Brian Pfleuger · November 14, 2011, 08:20 PM

Deer get used to logging activity in short order, they won't be scared for more than a few days.

ZeroJunk · November 14, 2011, 09:41 PM

I've seen doe browsing within 150 yards of one of those 500 horsepower whole tree chippers while it was running.

Deer are curious animals. I was sitting on the edge of the power line the other day with my muzzle loader and had a doe browsing about 70 yards from me. The utility crew is rebuilding the line, a big 230 KV transmission line. They were about 300 yards away with their truck loudspeakers wide open and equipment running. She paid no attention.. Then their helicopter flew over about 50 feet above the line, close enough it blew some leaves off the trees. Well, that got on her nerves and she took off in ti the thicket. The helicopter flew down where the men were working and landed. Ten minutes later the doe and another came right back out and started browsing.

Now, if they see me they seem to run 1000 yards and never look back.

Gunplummer · November 14, 2011, 09:48 PM

I went to Maryland one year and the mountain I hunted had been on fire for two days. One big area had been burned off and the deer still came in at night for the acorns. The place was still burning the first day and I was in there with a lot of other guys. We saw deer.

Deja vu · November 14, 2011, 10:11 PM

I find that after cutting trees that the deer are gone for at least a few weeks. May be the deer where I live just spook easier...

warbirdlover · November 15, 2011, 12:20 AM

I've always seen bucks for some reason in areas they've just logged. It seems to draw them like a magnet. This was way up in the northwest corner (Burnett County) of Wisconsin. Also had wolves run right past us sitting on the logs.

mete · November 15, 2011, 02:41 AM

While there is disruption the deer now have all those tops to eat !!
Or you could just hunt the tilled area for a week then go into the logged areas.

mwal · November 15, 2011, 09:56 AM

We logged our 20 in WI and more deer came within a day of the start of the project. They were munching on tree tops in broad daylight while skidders were running etc. I always ask logger about the deer they see. They see lots of them while running the equipment. I don't think it bothers them.

Mwal

Saltydog235 · November 15, 2011, 10:15 AM

Our club is on a logging tract owned by International Paper, guys will fight over getting in stands where recent activity has been. It stirs things up and puts browse deer normally cannot get to on the ground. They don't pay much attention to the machinery and will often walk all around it after the activity stops for the day. You probably see more deer setting up on one of the finges of the activity than you would sitting in the normal pathways or "safe" areas you are accustomed to.

Jo6pak · November 20, 2011, 08:31 PM

Well, I hunted opening day as I normally would. Got into the stand about an hour before sunrise and sat until sundown. Saw 4 deer all day, three smaller doe, and a little fork buck. Far less than the 10-12 that I average seeing on opening day. Two other hunters saw two deer each and the remaining two guys saw none. No deer hanging in the barn today

I saw no deer at all today

This season may just be a bust, but we are already talking about where we are going to plant food plots and put in some more apples trees.

View Poll Results: How do we fix this SNAFU
Hunt as usual, hope for the best	10	55.56%
Give it time to cool off, hunt only later in the week	0	0%
Drive the untouched areas right away	3	16.67%
try this (explain your plan)	1	5.56%
Punt, call it a loss for this year	4	22.22%
Voters: 18. You may not vote on this poll

November 14, 2011, 07:20 PM	#1
Jo6pak Senior Member Join Date: August 5, 2010 Location: West Coast...of WI Posts: 1,663	Logging and Deer hunting: opinions needed OK, so here's my problem. Wisconsin's 9-day gun deer hunt opens this Saturday. They have been planning on logging the land that I hunt, which in itself wouldn't be an issue. The loggers weren't supposed to show up til the second week in December. But they started logging it Friday. The roads and trails are all blcoked and there are hundreds of trees down on the 200 acres. They say most of the lumber will be cleared out before Friday. I figure, even if they get it cleared, all the activity will push the deer out of the area, at least for a while. We have 5 guys hunting the property, which is about 300 acres, 220 or so is wooded and the rest tilled. About 2/3s of the wooded area is being logged. So, we are coming up with plans to make the best of it. Should we... 1. Hunt as usual and hope for the best? 2. Not hunt the opening weekend and give it a few days to calm down. Hoping that hunters in surrounding areas will push deer back into the area. 3. Start out driving the untouched 1/3 of the farm. 4. Suggestions welcome __________________ NRA Life Member, SAF contributor. Last edited by Jo6pak; November 14, 2011 at 09:13 PM.

November 14, 2011, 07:40 PM	#2
kaylorinhi Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2010 Location: The brown eye of america Posts: 463	Have all the guys sit on known paths, feeding and bedding areas the first weekend to check the movement and such. The Deer have probably been scared off for a while, but it is worth it. If that doesnt work then drive the crap out of the rest!! __________________ Buy your guns by Yardline, Not Looks.

November 14, 2011, 08:20 PM	#4
Brian Pfleuger Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Austin, CO Posts: 19,578	Deer get used to logging activity in short order, they won't be scared for more than a few days. __________________ Nobody plans to screw up their lives... ...they just don't plan not to. -Andy Stanley

November 14, 2011, 10:11 PM	#7
Deja vu Senior Member Join Date: March 14, 2010 Location: Border of Idaho & Montana Posts: 2,584	I find that after cutting trees that the deer are gone for at least a few weeks. May be the deer where I live just spook easier... __________________ Shot placement is everything! I would rather take a round of 50BMG to the foot than a 22short to the base of the skull. all 26 of my guns are 45/70 govt, 357 mag, 22 or 12 ga... I believe in keeping it simple. Wish my wife did as well...

November 14, 2011, 08:08 PM	#3
ZeroJunk Senior Member Join Date: August 14, 2006 Location: Browns Summit NC Posts: 2,589	We have had 1760 acres leased for about 15 years. They have logged it all now doing 200 to 300 acres at a time. I was surprised at how many deer you would see in the cut overs eating the acorns left behind. It really depends on how much cover is left. They will also have to leave a boundary uncut 50 or so feet on each side of any drainage. I'm not sure what the authority considers a drainage, but on our lease any continuous running spring was left uncut between the spring and the river. It will make good hunting spots. If there is little cover the deer may not come in until very late, so set up on the edges where you can.

November 14, 2011, 09:41 PM	#5
ZeroJunk Senior Member Join Date: August 14, 2006 Location: Browns Summit NC Posts: 2,589	I've seen doe browsing within 150 yards of one of those 500 horsepower whole tree chippers while it was running. Deer are curious animals. I was sitting on the edge of the power line the other day with my muzzle loader and had a doe browsing about 70 yards from me. The utility crew is rebuilding the line, a big 230 KV transmission line. They were about 300 yards away with their truck loudspeakers wide open and equipment running. She paid no attention.. Then their helicopter flew over about 50 feet above the line, close enough it blew some leaves off the trees. Well, that got on her nerves and she took off in ti the thicket. The helicopter flew down where the men were working and landed. Ten minutes later the doe and another came right back out and started browsing. Now, if they see me they seem to run 1000 yards and never look back.

November 14, 2011, 09:48 PM	#6
Gunplummer Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2010 Location: South East Pa. Posts: 3,364	I went to Maryland one year and the mountain I hunted had been on fire for two days. One big area had been burned off and the deer still came in at night for the acorns. The place was still burning the first day and I was in there with a lot of other guys. We saw deer.

November 15, 2011, 12:20 AM	#8
warbirdlover Senior Member Join Date: December 13, 2009 Location: central Wisconsin Posts: 2,324	I've always seen bucks for some reason in areas they've just logged. It seems to draw them like a magnet. This was way up in the northwest corner (Burnett County) of Wisconsin. Also had wolves run right past us sitting on the logs.

November 15, 2011, 02:41 AM	#9
mete Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2004 Location: NY State Posts: 6,575	While there is disruption the deer now have all those tops to eat !! Or you could just hunt the tilled area for a week then go into the logged areas. __________________ And Watson , bring your revolver !

November 15, 2011, 09:56 AM	#10
mwal Member Join Date: February 24, 2009 Posts: 91	We logged our 20 in WI and more deer came within a day of the start of the project. They were munching on tree tops in broad daylight while skidders were running etc. I always ask logger about the deer they see. They see lots of them while running the equipment. I don't think it bothers them. Mwal

November 15, 2011, 10:15 AM	#11
Saltydog235 Senior Member Join Date: October 20, 2010 Location: Pawleys Island Posts: 1,563	Our club is on a logging tract owned by International Paper, guys will fight over getting in stands where recent activity has been. It stirs things up and puts browse deer normally cannot get to on the ground. They don't pay much attention to the machinery and will often walk all around it after the activity stops for the day. You probably see more deer setting up on one of the finges of the activity than you would sitting in the normal pathways or "safe" areas you are accustomed to.

November 20, 2011, 08:31 PM	#12
Jo6pak Senior Member Join Date: August 5, 2010 Location: West Coast...of WI Posts: 1,663	Well, I hunted opening day as I normally would. Got into the stand about an hour before sunrise and sat until sundown. Saw 4 deer all day, three smaller doe, and a little fork buck. Far less than the 10-12 that I average seeing on opening day. Two other hunters saw two deer each and the remaining two guys saw none. No deer hanging in the barn today I saw no deer at all today This season may just be a bust, but we are already talking about where we are going to plant food plots and put in some more apples trees. __________________ NRA Life Member, SAF contributor.