Logging and deer movement

Joined
Jul 13, 2017
Messages
27
Location
Atlanta GA
I'm lucky enough to have a friend with 22.5 acres of mostly oaks and hickory trees that allows me to hunt it. It borders a 2500 state park where there is no hunting allowed, there is also 600 acres of woods on the other side of this property, so it's a really nice spot and only 20 mins from my house. Problem is the 600 acres has been sold to a large company who is now developing the border with my friends land. They just started as soon as archery season began! They are clearcutting the border line currently and I'm wondering what that's going to do to my deer and hog season. I'm hoping it opens a new opportunity up for pinch points, but I really don't know or understand deer/hog movement enough to wager a guess. Am I screwed for this season? Would deer/hog cross clearcut areas that were recently bedding or food source areas? Will they avoid that whole area for months? Am I worrying about nothing......? The bummer is that the really good spots of travel area are very near the border with this development. Amazing how much habitat loss has just occurred in under a week, I was really bummed when I saw it today. I can't imagine what my buddy is feeling like.
 

N2TRKYS

WKR
Joined
Apr 17, 2016
Messages
3,954
Location
Alabama
If it's being developed next to the property you're hunting, you're probably screwed until the deer get use to the disturbance.
 
OP
H
Joined
Jul 13, 2017
Messages
27
Location
Atlanta GA
We have tons of food on this property...It more than likely has never been logged. Every other tree is a white oak....I'm not kidding. So it's difficult to find a dominant one, bedding areas are around. Went out there this morning thinking there was no way they'd work on a Sunday....spooked a doe futzing with my pack around sunup, then 15 mins later, they started ripping trees out. Crazy, this place may be dead for the season. Thx for the replies.
 

Murdy

WKR
Joined
Jun 6, 2014
Messages
623
Location
North-Central Illinois
Is there a lot of logging and development in the area? If so, the deer might already be used to it. I hunt in an area that the National Guard trains in. Early season, the Guard trains during the week and it's open to hunting on the weekend. Plenty of deer around despite the activity. Only way to know for sure is to get out there and hunt it.
 

Sodbuster

WKR
Joined
Jan 9, 2016
Messages
713
Location
Missouri
Sounds like too good of spot to not try it a couple times.

Years ago a neighbor logged his timber during deer season and the deer just circled around the loggers to the least disturbed areas.
They never left though and the guys hunting there mopped up.
 

Murdy

WKR
Joined
Jun 6, 2014
Messages
623
Location
North-Central Illinois
Yah, I was just recalling a place I hunt where they do controlled burns every fall -- prairie restoration they say -- doesn't seem to bother the deer much, if any.
 
OP
H
Joined
Jul 13, 2017
Messages
27
Location
Atlanta GA
Yeah this place was gold before a large corporation bought about 400 acres of private, undeveloped land. The area is very hilly with tons of pinch points, saddles, draws and a river. Hardly a flat spot in the place. It's at the end of a state park which is heavily wooded. To the south of the property is the development, it's kind of a square parcel so it's quite a large area they're mucking up for us. But if we cruise to the other side where we have a ridge, I think we may still get some activity. I'm a very new hunter as this is my 4th season hunting deer/pig, so it was kind of a blow thinking I had a handle on movement. But it's good to shake things up....I learn from forums and books as I have no mentor currently. I appreciate all the advice and the education.
 

Randle

WKR
Joined
Dec 30, 2012
Messages
2,176
Location
Nope
Up here as soon as the saws shut down the deer come in. They eat the Tops and moss and such that they can't normally reach. Sometimes the loggers have to chase them off.
maybe talk to some loggers in your area and see what they say about deer while they are logging.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2017
Messages
440
Location
WV
Clear cuts=Deer magnets! I hunt a lot of cut woods, both select cut and clear cut. I get excited when I see that stuff! I killed a good buck two days after they stopped logging an area, you could still smell the machinery and gas in there.
 

Stid2677

WKR
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Messages
2,349
Up here as soon as the saws shut down the deer come in. They eat the Tops and moss and such that they can't normally reach. Sometimes the loggers have to chase them off.
maybe talk to some loggers in your area and see what they say about deer while they are logging.


This............ Chat up the crew,, find out when they will be off and hunt close to their brush piles. Deer love tree tops, vines and all that yummy out of reach stuff.
 

N2TRKYS

WKR
Joined
Apr 17, 2016
Messages
3,954
Location
Alabama
I think a lot of folks aren't looking past the logging operation. If that's all that were going on, then I would agree, to a point. I've seen deer in areas that were being logged, but it was only does and yearling bucks. If you have a pile of mature bucks, then you may see them in there.

The development part is what would worry me, if I was hunting mature bucks. The way the deer will react to this activity can only be answered by hunting and/or scouting it. Those deer are probably use to human interactions. Personally, I would look for a good spot close to the park and away from the development work.

Keep us posted on how it affects them.
 
OP
H
Joined
Jul 13, 2017
Messages
27
Location
Atlanta GA
I found out they're building a data center. Possibly google....this is very close to Atlanta. So I imagine that they building a fence, security in place, probably underground utilities. It's close enough to the river that I think the building won't be back there due to buffer zone laws. The landowner asked me not to interact with the workers.....he is currently in an easement dispute with the corporation. They're trying to landlock the property so they can bulldoze the road that has been there for 120years, what a mess.
 
Top