Little public land, clearcut sometime in the past 5 years.

[ThereWillBeSpuds]

So this morning I went on a little scouting run before work. I was interested in a little WMA near another larger area I want to hunt, particularly as a backup if the big area is getting hammered one morning when I was planning to hunt. It consists of a pine plantation that looks like it was clearcut sometime between 2010 and 2016 based on historical google earth images. It has a pittiful little strip of mature trees that run east west across the property along a streambed that was dry this morning.

Attached is the arial photo which dates to 2016. It currently has a bunch of 10 to 12 foot tall pines which form thick cover that is somehow pretty easy to move through.
I saw a mess of deer tracks, but also lots of dog/coyote tracks (not sure which, there were a bunch of different sizes)

I didnt have a ton of time so I just went down a little road left over from the logging and then followed a Deer trail that started where the road ended. Along that trail I saw tons of deer bones, skulls, lower jaws, the whole shebang. All appeared to be from antlerless deer, though I am no expert. And all were found on the road, before it became impassable to a truck.

I dunno what to think, is there one guy just using it as a dumping ground for their carcasses and I only saw antlerless skulls because they are keeping the bucks heads for mounts?

Are coyotes killing deer there and I just happened to only see the ones on the road because the ones on the road are the easiest to find? Are the dumped deer carcasses drawing a population of coyotes? Or is it just the area where all the locals walk their dogs so I mistook the many different sized canine tracks for coyote tracks?

I do think it would be worth my time to hunt this area, as I saw a mess of deer tracks, but I guess i would have to use a ground blind or just still hunt. South-east of the corner of the property is a soybean field and then a very large corn field. To the northwest is a small pond fed by a lil stream.

What do yall think? Also, coyote or dog? Does that last pic look like a bed to anyone else? No crap or hair that I could find.

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[HuntNorthEast]

Hog skulls

 

[HuntNorthEast]

And definitely 'yote tracks

 

[ThereWillBeSpuds]

Hog skulls

Really? Damn, shows what I know.

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[ThereWillBeSpuds]

Well now I am wondering if the tracks I saw were also hog tracks. After looking those up I never realized how remarkably similar they look to deer tracks.

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[HuntNorthEast]

Well now I am wondering if the tracks I saw were also hog tracks. After looking those up I never realized how remarkably similar they look to deer tracks.

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What state are you in? Those skulls look relatively tame compared to feral hogs. Could be a farmer dumping slaughter waste and the coyote population is booming because of it. If you guys have wild hogs, someone could've filled some tags and dumped the scraps.

 

[ThereWillBeSpuds]

South Carolina. We definitely have hogs. No bag limit or season but on public land you can only hunt with weapons legal for whatever else is in season.

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[stevethebreeze]

And you probably will have Bobcats before long. They love pine thickets. Easy stalking for them. Had a similar place a few years ago like this and the Bobcats came in. Had 4 within 50 yards of me one afternoon.

 

[shwacker]

It’s probably worth an observation sit at least. Get in that branch off to one side of the clear cut. I thought that track looked wide for yote, but very well may be.

As for big vs deer tracks, the hogs will be a little (or a lot) rounded at the front tip, deer will be the more heart shaped track, unless splayed our running track, still pointed though, but you’ll see the dew claws with it


Spencer

 

[ThereWillBeSpuds]

It’s probably worth an observation sit at least. Get in that branch off to one side of the clear cut. I thought that track looked wide for yote, but very well may be.

As for big vs deer tracks, the hogs will be a little (or a lot) rounded at the front tip, deer will be the more heart shaped track, unless splayed our running track, still pointed though, but you’ll see the dew claws with it


Spencer

Well if it turns out to be coyotes and pigs I can collect some furs and meat and get good shooting practice.

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[shwacker]

Well if it turns out to be coyotes and pigs I can collect some furs and meat and get good shooting practice.

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Yessir, good fun either way. But generally those young pines will offer great bedding and food source for deer. So I’m sure there’s some in there. They may be stacked more in the south corner towards that field you mentioned, but can’t tell if there’s any standing trees within the boundary that you can climb there. You’ll figure it out. Good luck


Spencer

 

[DroptineKrazy]

And you probably will have Bobcats before long. They love pine thickets. Easy stalking for them. Had a similar place a few years ago like this and the Bobcats came in. Had 4 within 50 yards of me one afternoon.

Seriously dude. I haven't been lucky enough to see just one Bobcat while out in the woods and you've seen 4 at once?

 

[stevethebreeze]

Seriously dude. I haven't been lucky enough to see just one Bobcat while out in the woods and you've seen 4 at once?

Well, if it makes you feel better, only 3 went home. Tagged one with my bow 10ft from the base of my ladder stand.

I think I was more pumped with him than any other kill to date.