went to my east texas lease this weekend, drove up and found that they clear cut my whole hunting area, every last tree. What are yall thoughts on hunting freshly cut clear cuts?

In my experience, deer will come out right at dusk. Maybe try planting some oats in there ASAP. Good luck.

This year will probably see a few deer, mostly around the edges. the next few years it will be good until it gets too tall to see the deer in. If they allow a food plot I would be getting in some good groceries for them and if a food plot area can be employed or a power line or pipeline for future years it can be fantastic in the future. Good luck

Happened to me last year, don't worry you will see more than you ever have. Good luck!

If it's a timber company lease, get with their forester ASAP to set okay areas for food plots around the lease. They'll usually allow turkey tracks or plots along the SMZs unless you get really crazy on acreage. My advice is to corn the remaining treelines and hunt. Bucks have no probs chasing does across the open cuts.

well glad to hear some good news from some of you guys. I pretty much had melt down when i saw it. LOL. I did how ever plant oats and winter wheat all along the edge of the wood line, after i calmed down. that was the whole reason i showed up saturday to lease was to plant and fill feeders, thats when i found out they cut my trees. One good thing is that there is a monster ditch they couldnt cut that runs along the edge of my hunting area. i will hope for the best i guess.

How long ago was the clear-cut? If there are small shoots (browse) coming up, you might have the greatest year there.

The tree cutting equipment is still on my spot, with a huge stack of lumber pilled high about 10 yards from my box stand that now sits on top of draw that is in middle of all the clear cut. they only tree left standing in my area is the one my Ladder stand is attached to looking down at the draw, where i planted now along with trees in the draw they couldnt cut.

HEY I TOLD YOU THEY DID YOU FAVOR, NOW YOU WON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING LOST IN THE WOODS! NOW QUIT YOUR WHINNING!!!

Should be a good year for you. I've always had success hunting clear cuts in the first year they were cut. At least they cut it prior to the season. I've had them start cutting on opening weekend before.

I wonder if they are planning on re-planting? more than likely, may be worth a call to get the land use schedule. If there was allot of underbrush, I doubt much will change after the noise settles down. If it's "burned" (lower brush burned away) Pine cuts in may take some time, but as the regrowth starts , it should get better every year.

It;s a somewhat wet year so they'd probably replant ASAP, which is why it's important to get areas for food plots marked off so they don't get replanted and roads can be left getting into them before the place gets plowed. Those plots will be important should they decide to spray it over the next few years and kil off everything but the pines.

I've shot deer in the same clearcut that was being logged. it brings a lot of food to ground level that was previously out of reach. Honeysuckle and green briar are huge favorites.

Then the next year's regrowth is like a grocery store to the deer. Lotta dormant seeds sprout up, young and tender.

Is this a timber lease or private lease?

you hit a gold mine. you will see lots of deer, fresh vegetation

YOU CAN KILL MORE DEER WITH A HALF FULL GLASS THAN A HALF EMPTY GLASS! YOU WAS TOLD BEFORE YOU CHANGED HUNTING AREAS THOSE TREES WERE OLD ENOUGH TO CUT.THAT IS WHY IT'S CALLED TIMBER LAND.

my fil's stand ended up on the edge of the clear cut this year.i think he is setting on the best spot on the lease now.

There was clear cut power line easement on my last lease. The dear crossed it daily, although the big bucks usually stayed just inside the tree line till after dark.

happened to us back when we used to hunt Newton County. The guys with the best spots 7-8 years after the clear cut were the guys with "beetle" problems in spokes radiating from their stands as the trees started getting taller... This is your opportunity to have the mowable sight lanes and food plot spots you want for the coming years. Don't go nuts, but they don't mind you selectively making rows when the trees are just sprouting. After about year 5, the trees will be at a point that you won't be able to see through or over the tops until about year 10 or 11. You will want some shooting lanes cleared and established by then (and once the tree is past sapling phase, they don't want you touching them.)

Some don't want you touching them once they're planted. The usual rate is $250 per seedling/sapling based on the plotting size and cleared area.

I have been hunting in Marion county for 30 years on a paper lease. Clear cuts usually result in deer standing and feeding on natural browse. Set up in the woods on the edge of the clear cut and you're likely to see deer on the edge of the clear cut area.

yes it is timber company land that we lease, not private. They will be replanting, i just hope its after hunting season is over.

You ca bet it will be while the weather is cool, better survival planting when the seedlings are dormant. Old Horne buck wont care much if the does are close by though, I think you will be surprised at how well they'll take to the new "remodel"

Oats, Clover, legumes, etc are now your best friends!!

UPDATE on this years hunting of the clear cut: I have seen MORE MATURE BUCKS this hunting season then i ever have.