Deer area being logged

[Huskie]

How could one find out if the public land that they deer hunt on is going to be logged in the near future. This is forest service land, under the USDA in Chippewa National Forest. We walked it for grouse last week and the main trail was groomed to a degree and widened, one area was graveled and had a new culvert put in where an old beaver pond flowed over the road. Hate to get there opening morning and see the logging equipment and no trees!!!!!

[hound32]

from our past expirences with logging they wont start till winter when the ground freezes. i wouldnt worry about them doing it between now and deer season. At least thats how they were where we hunt.

[Steve Foss]

Cutting/stacking generally takes place in winter, at least up here in the Superior National Forest, because it's easier for frozen ground to support the heavy mechanized logging equipment. But I'm not a logger and don't know if that is a hard and fast rule, nor if the land in the Chippewa makes extraction easier in other seasons.

If it is going to be logged, the soonest likely would be this winter. But the simplest thing to do is just pick up the phone and check with the USFS folks if you'd like more details. Also, every logging venture I've seen up here in the Superior includes spray painted rings on trees and actual logging sale signs on the tract in question well before the logging starts. Again I'm going on memory here, but it's my recollection that once a logging co. wins a bid on tract, that tract gets marked and the loggers have some years (five, maybe?) to complete the work.

Improvements to a USFS forest road don't necessarily mean logging is imminent. Periodically the FS assesses those roads and decides (sometimes based on logging but just as often based on recreation like hunting) which roads to leave alone, which to improve and which to block off/decommission.

And if it is to be logged, especially if its heavy with aspen, that'll be a blessing for deer and grouse hunters. In the heavy forest, deer will congregate from quite a distance around logging cuts for the next several years, because a large portion of northern MN forest deers diets are made up of aspen leaves, and the regeneration from logging cuts puts tender young popple leaves right at deer level for five years or so.

[Bear55]

I usually see trees painted near the property lines before they come in and log, a lot of time they mark the trees a year or so in advance so it can be hard to tell for sure without talking to the logger, a lot depends on their schedule.

There is plently of logging going on all fall but winter is their peak time to harvest because once everything is frozen they can get just about anywhere. I know a couple of loggers and they generally shut down for at least a week during deer season, most of them are deer hunters and they usually don't want to upset other hunters. More than likely your hunting area will be fine this year but be ready for next year as you might have to move some stands to adjust to the new opening.

I actually get pretty escited when areas we hunt get logged out. You immediatly get a new funnel and great new food source for years to come. Once the regrowth get about 8 feet tall and super thick it usually becomes a bedding area. Some of my best stands are either right near one of these old logging area or placed between two of these areas to catch bucks on the move.

[Bowfin]

Logging operations can occur anytime during the year. It is site/soil and management objective dependant. The Chippewa folks would be glad to let you know what's up with the road - you just need to ask and give them the location. I asked about a timber sale in my hunting area on the Chip last year by sending an email to the following address:

r9 chippewa public <[email protected]>

They responded in about a week.

[Huskie]

Thanks guys, I e mailed the Chip folks and they replied, just sent them the section range and section numbers and they will get back to me. They could be just improving the trail for recreation purposes, but there has been a lot of logging in the area, regardless we will make the adjustments.

[motley man]

These areas make good open areas for deer hunting, just be sure that nobody is on other side when shooting.

[Muthagoose]

EXCELLENT hunting....

Yep soil and terrain matter.

Buy the logger a 12 pack and thank him.You wont regret it...