Hunting a fresh clear cut

[DooWap]

So a good chunk the area we hunt got logged this past year and I'm wondering if anybody has some good advice for hunting a recent clear cut.

[reinhard1]

our area got logged two years ago. your area will be great hunting for years to come. the only thing i would suggest is to place your stands on the edges of the open areas you know there are frequent used trails. in our area the loggers left islands of trees here and there so we placed a stand in one that had a main trail connecting a swamp on one side and untoughed forest on the other. if anything the logging will help improve the hunt in comming years. our luck has improved since the logging. i have my stand in the center of a "bay" so to speak in the open area of small portion of the logged area. young popples have already made in neccessary for me to start shooting lanes. i will maintain these in the comming years as the forests re-grows. we have hunted this spot since the 60's and this is the second time this area was logged. good luck.

[Pinusbanksiana]

I should remind everyone that cutting shooting lanes on public land is illegal. Even if the aspen saplings are non-merchantable. I see quite a bit of shooting lanes hacked across forest service land. I suggest cutting limbs a and dead trees instead of live ones.

[ducksnbucks]

A part of our property was logged 5 years ago. We had great hunting both 1 and 2 years after, with ok hunting the 3rd year. However, the numbers have gone down drastically in the popple over the past 2 years. Part of it could be though that we can't see into the clear cut as well as we could, so there could be some deer walking around but we have limited vision now.

Over the first 3 years we found that the deer were bedding 30-100 yards off the edge of the clear cut on two sides. After seeing this, a guy put a stand on those edges but never saw deer. He then moved his stand off edge 150-175 yards and started seeing deer again. He was spooking the deer off the edge when walking into his stand but after he moved it he started keeping away from the edge he shot deer again. Longer shot but worth it.

You should have good hunting coming up!!

[BigJakeL]

Hunted clear cuts in Northern Minnesota for years! Had some of the best luck hunting these sites. Of course being near the BWCAW helped a lot too! My advice to you is find a high ridge to sit on of tall tree near the edge of the wood line and wait! I especially liked corners! Good luck!

[brassman]

I have been hunting two new clear cuts, one that was cut last year and shot my biggest buck ever. This year I hunted over one that was cut this winter, the saplings came up fast because of the wet summer. I set up on an inside corner. I shot my second biggest buck on friday cruising through the clear cut at 1pm. Its best to set up on inside corners or watching a finger that juts into the cut. mind the wind.

[machohorn]

Have some wall space lined up for the bigg-un, Clear cuts from year 0-5 are great.Depending on size set up high on a ridge/tree overlooking a swamp where it meets woods, finger , points, creek beds, ravines are all great spots.

[pulleye16]

in my experience the clear cuts are great until the deer get pressured. Unlike the post above, I've never seen large bucks but mostly does and spikes...but since it MN in prime rut during opener, if theres does, there should be bucks. Also, After the trees start growing again, yes-the deer herd shrinks but I've found the big bucks like it more then, gives them good cover if its thick enough.

[iceman16]

the last two years i have taken my biggest and second biggest bucks out of the same cut that was logged last right before the season. i have set up trail cams in the swamps and thick cover around the cut have have seen alot of big bucks on the cam. and they seam to use the trails that were there before the had logged it. i love hunting clearcuts in the rut. this year i called him to the edge of the cut out of a swamp.

iceman