I will be hunting my Family's Arkansas property that has been clear cut in some areas, and thinned out in others this year. I have seen some good sign, but wanted to see if there are any others with experience with hunting this type of property. It is about 290 acres.
Well we had a some cleared land where i am from in north east Arkansas and we had good luck staying hid gun hunting. Never been bow hunting there yet since i just started.
Hunting fresh clear cuts is tough sometimes because they don't often travel the same route every time the move... where it's so open they may just wander through wherever they please. Try and find something the narrows them into a bottleneck (a brook, a ravine, a road, etc)... that'll up your chances at getting in bow range.
FRESH cuts may be hard to hunt... however in my experience they become 'deer magnets' after 2 to 3 years because of all the new browse that's growing.
love hunting cut overs it is a fact of hunting life here in the south.. The first year I get up high and rifle hunt after that the deer start using travel corridors more and I will bow hunt it..
My experience is pretty much the same as MartinHunter. First year rifle. Occasionally you catch 'em hugging the edge. After that, it's game on. They will start using trails, bedding and still edge hug. I love a 2+ year old cut over.
Also... On fresh cut timber you have the opportunity to alter and create the travel patterns. Open some lanes that are easy for them to travel to and from their food source and bedding. Maybe brush up some areas where you don't want them traveling. It's a prime opportunity to help create your own optimal hunting patterns
