Clear Cuts and Bucks

[rempse2]

New member here looking to take my deer hunting to the next level and pick the brains of the folks here to help me along. Over the years my skills have gradually progressed and I’ve taken my share of deer but I’m looking to get more consistent as far as getting on mature bucks especially in big woods public land where my success has been limited. I’ve recently moved and live close to a lot of public land – hilly mixed hardwoods with mt. laurel, brooks and small swamps mixed in. I’ve been doing my scouting, placed out my trail cameras and am slowly gathering my info

My first question pertains to clear cuts – one of the pieces I’m scouting has a clear cut about 50+ acres situated on the side of a hill surrounded by mixed hardwoods - it’s an older cut maybe 10-12 years so it’s pretty thick with new growth in the interior with an edge that’s full of browse, the top of the cut has a ridge line running parallel to it. So far this is the info I’ve gathered from scouting/trail camera.

Last year found early rubs and scrapes at top of the cut, along the browse edge, the prevailing winds in the fall usually run West – Northwest so this was on the downwind from the clear cut. Put up the trail camera this year just off the browse edge about 40 yards in the timber and discovered a bachelor group of bucks (spike, fork, basket 6 and a tall long tined 8) are approaching the cut from the ridge running parallels to it (downwind) – I back trailed where they came from and the trail runs off the property I’m hunting and dipped over the crest of the ridge and down into some steep thick ledges. I’m thinking that would be the set up for a day bed where they would catch the rising morning thermals with the prevailing wind at their back. All of the photos of these bucks are in the middle of the night between 1-3am. Unfortunately, because this trail runs off the property I would have to focus my efforts closer to the cut and the 60 yards of timber between it and the property boundary. I also have a few pics of mature does and skippers during midafternoon and at dusk so the right ingredients are in place.

So a couple of questions.


1. Being that it’s late summer and the bucks are still in their bachelor group can I say I’m in or close to their core area?
2. Do mature bucks treat cuts like this almost like an open field and approach the cut mostly under the cover of darkness?
3. How do mature bucks troll cuts like this during the rut? Do they hang back and circle from the timber hoping to cross the trail of a doe coming and going?
4. How would bucks troll the clear cut in relation to the wind?
5. Would a spot like this be best utilized in the late season when the need to feed gets strong and may coax them to hit the browse edge during daylight?

Your thoughts and input is greatly appreciated.

[headgear]

If all of your pics are 1-3am I don't think they are bedding anywhere close by but that doesn't mean they won't relocate and bed on the land you hunt at some point this fall. If they were close you would see some daylight photos. I have bucks on camera within an hour or two of first/last light but they never show during daylight so I don't waste time hunting them in that location.

To answer your questions.
1. No I don't think you are near their core area based on the pics you are getting, they could be miles away.
2. Deer will live and bed in cuts, as long they have cover they will travel through them without a problem.
3. As for trolling on the cuts during the rut, yes and no, it kind of depends on the cut. Mostly they will troll cuts because the does bed there, however in hill country they might troll the hill beds instead of focusing on the cut. However in flat land if the cuts are attracting doe bedding they might troll from cut to cut or scent check downwind of the cut or the trails entering the cut.
4. I've seen bucks work a cut from every and all angels with or without the wind so there really isn't a once size fits all answer, especially when you are talking about hill country.
5. Yes a great spot for late season food and hunting, but you need to do your homework, not all cuts are created equal so one spot might hold deer a cut several miles away might hold the bucks.

[vermonthunter16]

Bucks will use the clear cuts for sure, but it is very likely that it is after dark all year long.

[BACKSTRAPALIEN]

I agee with headgear.
If you've got does in there, and you had sign pop on the downwind side last year you seem to have a nice prerut/rut spot. Let those does be and they bucks will show.

[ Post made via Android ]

[rempse2]

Thanks for the feedback! It seems like this spot has the right ingredients. The does are hanging out in or close to the cut as evidenced by their pics coming and going at dusk and the bucks are feeding there late at night as well. The buck sign I found last year was at the browse line close to the cut, this was more than likely done at night. My thoughts are to tread lightly at this point and stay out of there and wait till about mid October and do a mid-day scout walking the ridge line that parallels the cut, my take is somewhere between the cut and the ridge line there should be a trail the bucks us when trolling the cut. Hopefully I can find some fresh sign or old rubs that will clue me in on this trail.

[Divergent]

1. NO, but some of them will re-locate.
2. Until the cutover has sufficient cover, they'll use it similar to an open field. They will usually take advantage of the topography at the younger stages. The deer will use low spots or funnel up a draws to avoid being seen.
3-4. During the rut they like to travel the perimeter and cut trails. That's where you'll find the rubs/scrapes. The more mature bucks seem to hang back in the timber and scent check. I place an observation stand on the perimeter first. After you pinpoint doe trails, setup on the downwind edge of the cutover.
5. Cutovers seem to be hot all season long. Deer like to bed on the edges about 5-10 yards in.