Logging

[Doc]

A couple of years ago, I had the property logged. For years I was told that thinning the woods would open up the overstory and result in better browsing conditions and basically improve the habitat for the deer herds and other birds and animals. I still believe that, in the long term.

BUT The primary target of loggers is the oaks..... All the acorn bearing trees. What I found was that the deer and turkeys now spend less time on my property and instead primarily do their feeding on the land next door. To the point where the critters seem to have abandoned my property almost entirely during hunting season. I know that eventually when the browse begins to get established with the increased light reaching the ground, the deer will return and flourish. But history has shown me that when fall comes around, the browse becomes less of an attractant and the acorns become the food target for these critters. Yeah.....Fall.....Hunting season. The mature oak trees are now gone and of course so are the acorns and the deer and the turkeys. They are lured off to the unlogged areas next door. It is quite significant.

I am wondering if any of you have seen the same thing happen on logged property that you hunt. Just curious.

[escpen]

I studied my property for several years before having it logged and made note of the best acorn producing oak trees that were in good locations for taking advantage of during hunting season.  Those trees were marked as off-limits.  I then marked the trees that I wanted taken, the paths I wanted them to follow (or create) to get to them, etc. so the property would work better for me after the logging was done.  We haven't had an acorn crop in my area for the past couple of years (residual from gypsy moth infestation) but I'm hoping my approach pays off ... still (hopefully) have acorns when there is a crop yet also getting light to the ground to promote new growth and browse.