Cutover sections in the two- to five-year-old growth range are ideal for deer and hunters. The age group of clear-cuts provides food and hiding for deer. Even if the cut area has been replanted in pines, there is still a lot of growth left to harvest.
The best time to harvest a clearcut is during the late spring or early summer, when the deer are in their prime for hunting. Clearcuts are best harvested during this time of year because of the abundance of deer in these areas and the fact that they are easy to find and harvest.
However, clearcuts can be difficult to locate in late fall and early winter when deer populations are at their lowest.
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What is a cutover in the woods?
A cutover is something that has been removed from trees. An example of a cutover forest is a cedar forest in California that was cut down for lumber. There are trees that bear the name of a tree.
How do deer use clear-cuts?
For all intents and purposes, clear-cuts are big woods food plots. Any amount of food produced by a mature forest is no match for pound-for-pound. They are used by deer for food, travel, bedding, socializing, escape, and a lot more. Well, there are a few. First of all, it’s a lot of work to clear-cut a big woody food plot.
It’s not as easy as you might think, especially if you don’t have access to a chainsaw or a sawmill. You’ll need to use a combination of hand saws and chainsaws to cut down the trees. And you’ll have to do it in a way that doesn’t damage the forest floor, which can be a real pain in the ass.
If you’re not careful, you could end up with a forest that looks like this: And that’s just for starters. There’s also the matter of the fact that it takes a long time to chop down a tree. In the case of deer, that can take anywhere from a couple of hours to several days, depending on how big the tree is and how long you’ve been cutting it down.
Do whitetail deer like clearcuts?
New clearcuts have a reputation of being great places to hunt whitetails because they are usually covered with easy-to-spot deer tracks and they are easy to see while feeding in them. Clearcuts are believed to be a great place to find deer antlers. Clearcuts can be found in a wide variety of habitats, including open woodlands, prairies, wooded hillsides, and open fields.
They are also found along rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, creeks, swamps, marshes, ditches, roadsides and other open areas. Clearcuts also occur in areas where there is little or no vegetation, such as along the banks of rivers and streams. In these areas, deer are more likely to feed in the clearcut than in other areas of the same habitat.
What is a scrape in deer hunting?
A buck scrapers leaves or ground vegetation with his front feet, exposing bare ground. 4-5 feet below an overhanging branch is where the scrape is usually positioned. In the spring and fall, bucks make scrapers. Scratching is the most common method used by buck hunters. Buck hunters use their front paws to scrape off leaves, twigs, bark, and other debris from a tree or shrub.
This method is most effective when the buck is standing on the branch or tree, but can also be used when he is lying on his side or in a crouching position. The amount of scraped material varies from buck to buck and season to season. In the fall and spring, bucks will often scrape the bark off of trees and shrubs. However, during the summer and early fall, the majority of the scrapes will be made with the forepaws.
Should you cut trails for deer?
Cutting trails is a good idea, but don’t count on the deer not using the one you use to go to your stand. If you spray your boots down, you don’t need to worry about your scent. 30 minutes after I got into the tree, I had them walk on a trail right to me.
If you are going to be out in the woods for a long period of time you will want to make sure you have plenty of food and water. You will need to bring your own food, water, and a sleeping bag. If you do not have a camping stove you can use a camp stove or a propane stove.
Make sure that you bring enough food to last you for at least a couple of days if not a few weeks. It is very important to have enough water to keep you hydrated during the winter months. Bring a water bottle with you at all times. A good rule of thumb is 1 gallon of water per person per day.
Keep in mind that the water you drink will not be as good as the food you eat so you may have to drink more water than you think you should. Also, it is not uncommon to get sick from drinking water that has been sitting around for too long.
Do Bucks bed in clear cuts?
During the early fall, younger clear-cuts are the best. Some deer, particularly mature bucks, will establish permanent homes inside of a younger clear-cut during the early fall. If cover is below head height, they will only use the cut for a short period of time before moving on to the next deer.
If you find a deer that has established a permanent home in a clear cut, it’s a good idea to remove it from the area. This is especially true if the deer is a mature buck, as it may not be able to survive the winter outside of its home.
How do you hunt whitetail ridges?
As soon as you drop a foot or more in elevation below the ridge, your scent will most likely curl back uphill during the morning hours and even for an afternoon sit, the greater the speed of the wind, I have experienced the greater amount of scent curl. If you are hiking in a group, you may find that the scent of your group is stronger than your own scent.
If this is the case, it may be a good idea to split up and hike in different directions. This is especially true if you have a dog or cat in the group. It is not uncommon for dogs and cats to be attracted to each other’s scent, so it is best to keep them separated.
Do deer use logging roads?
There are logging roads and ATV trails on the other side of the river. There is a place where they can easily detect human traffic. They will eventually cross over, but only if there is adequate roadside cover. The larger-than-average tracks on the road should be a red flag. If you see a deer on a trail or road, it’s a good idea to stay away from it.
If you can’t see it from a distance, you may not be able to tell if it is a human or an animal, and it may be too late to get out of the way. It’s also possible that the deer may have been hit by a car or other vehicle, which could result in serious injury or even death.
Should I pee in a deer scrape?
In order to get bucks to approach the scrapes, smell the ground and feverishly re-work them, the urination tactic needs to be used. When I tell you that it’s the only way to get a buck‘s attention, it won’t sound over the top to some hunters. If you want to learn how to urinate on a deer, check out the video below.
