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Spots getting timbered.

10essee

10essee

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2018
Messages
946
Location
Florida
The lease I’m on in NE Florida is set to be “thinned” this year. They are starting in two weeks which is prime time for rut in our area. Sent out the map this morning and both of my spots are on the list. I understand it’s part of the deal but right in the middle of the rut is just extremely frustrating. I have been staying out of one spot because I’ve been getting pics of a good buck and been waiting on him to turn daylight. Now it’s either go in and hope to catch him or miss out. This particular area will be the hardest for the timber guys to get into and since the swamp is dry now it is scheduled first. Sad day. 74121684-AFD3-4FF6-A28A-FD6926C110C2.jpeg85394120-07BF-4771-9C7E-A4D60DF1F162.jpeg
 
That sucks man, it’s good overall and the area will be good again next year or late this year maybe, but bad timing. No harm in trying, is go get after him while you can


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Luckily I had taken this coming week off to hit the pre rut/rut so I’ve got all week on it. I don’t run a feeder on this section I just hunt the sign. I just hope their “thin” isn’t chop and destroy everything and is actual timber management.
 
10essee said:
Luckily I had taken this coming week off to hit the pre rut/rut so I’ve got all week on it. I don’t run a feeder on this section I just hunt the sign. I just hope their “thin” isn’t chop and destroy everything and is actual timber management.
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Sometimes the best timber management is clear cut which facilitates even age growth for the next crop. Unfortunately, "thinned" often means high grading which is the worst possible option. But since you don't own the property you probably don't care about the next generation of timber and would be better off if they left you a few saddle trees.

Good luck, definitely bad timing. I'd even consider that bad timing if you owned the ground but at least in that scenario you'd be compensated with profit from the harvest.
 
weekender21 said:
Sometimes the best timber management is clear cut which facilitates even age growth for the next crop. Unfortunately, "thinned" often means high grading which is the worst possible option. But since you don't own the property you probably don't care about the next generation of timber and would be better off if they left you a few saddle trees.

Good luck, definitely bad timing. I'd even consider that bad timing if you owned the ground but at least in that scenario you'd be compensated with profit from the harvest.
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Its all pines they are cutting. They’re supposedly taking every other row to let the rest have more space to mature. Problem is when the go in they cut or break whatever gets in the way. The plant pines are littered with scrub oaks that are dropping now and can be deer magnets. Shouldn’t be any hardwood cutting.

It’s going to work out just not very happy about their timing. Not only my spots but 7 other members are losing spots also. 15 of us on 5000 acres and the other affected members only gun hunt. They’ll most likely completely miss the season depending on how much they take and how long they stay in our lease cutting.

Timber map shows about 500 acres of club getting hit. Most of the club is swamp that is dry now and huntable this year but a good rain and it’s under water. The pines are the high ground that most people feeder up in. We’ll see how it turns out but until they get in there I’m hunting the deer in the pics.
 
Does your club limits you to specific areas or if you can hunt anywhere in the 5k acres? If you can go anywhere it would seem the waterlogged parts swamps will concentrate the deer when they start cutting. Deer have to move somewhere and I would think the more difficult places would fit the bill.

In most places where I've hunted they have to avoid cutting near creeks and other flowing water. But I can't believe that is the case in FL as there would be very little to cut. I'd be curious to hear your strategy.
 
Get out there ASAP & make some moves on the buck before he’s forced to move

If can’t get him, then figure out the next best preferred bedding that he’ll move to & keep at it




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Cutting timber doesn't mean bucks will leave. This guy was on camera for 3 seasons (I know for sure 'cause he only had 3 legs). They thinned our lease in the middle of the rut. Still had equipment parked and trees not hauled off. I killed him running the same scrape line he had made before they thinned it.

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Wasp said:
Does your club limits you to specific areas or if you can hunt anywhere in the 5k acres? If you can go anywhere it would seem the waterlogged parts swamps will concentrate the deer when they start cutting. Deer have to move somewhere and I would think the more difficult places would fit the bill.

In most places where I've hunted they have to avoid cutting near creeks and other flowing water. But I can't believe that is the case in FL as there would be very little to cut. I'd be curious to hear your strategy.
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We have “personal “ stand areas and “club” stands. I will have areas to hunt via my saddle around club stands but most all the better deer producing areas have personal stands that can’t get within 200 yards of in any direction mine included.
Our main concern other than the timing of the cut is we are surrounded by other clubs that don’t run a management program like we do. They are brown and down clubs and we try to only take 3.5+ bucks and mature does. Tons of 2.5’s this year that are walking targets if they leave our area.
I will have to pin into club stands and hunt the surrounding swamp areas. I have a good idea of where I’ll go but I’ll wait till muzzle loader to scout them. Slowly slipping till I find what I need to see. Luckily the swamp is dry this year and will be good to hunt. It’ll just take some time to scout.
 
Tapeworm said:
Get out there ASAP & make some moves on the buck before he’s forced to move

If can’t get him, then figure out the next best preferred bedding that he’ll move to & keep at it




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I put in vacation a month ago for this coming week before we knew anything about the cut. He’s got to avoid me for 7 days to need a different bedding area that being said I’ll still hunt him smart. Right winds and controlled pressure entry.
 
10essee said:
We have “personal “ stand areas and “club” stands. I will have areas to hunt via my saddle around club stands but most all the better deer producing areas have personal stands that can’t get within 200 yards of in any direction mine included.
Our main concern other than the timing of the cut is we are surrounded by other clubs that don’t run a management program like we do. They are brown and down clubs and we try to only take 3.5+ bucks and mature does. Tons of 2.5’s this year that are walking targets if they leave our area.
I will have to pin into club stands and hunt the surrounding swamp areas. I have a good idea of where I’ll go but I’ll wait till muzzle loader to scout them. Slowly slipping till I find what I need to see. Luckily the swamp is dry this year and will be good to hunt. It’ll just take some time to scout.
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From my experience, deer are more likely to be drawn to logging operations than pushed away from them. They’ll be deer tracks in dozer tracks every evening. Are the logging operations areas off limits to hunting after they break for the day or weekend?


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weekender21 said:
From my experience, deer are more likely to be drawn to logging operations than pushed away from them. They’ll be deer tracks in dozer tracks every evening. Are the logging operations areas off limits to hunting after they break for the day or weekend?


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They haven’t let us know whether or not they are going to restrict access around the logged areas due to safety reasons. Hangers and widow makers are real dangers.
 
10essee said:
They haven’t let us know whether or not they are going to restrict access around the logged areas due to safety reasons. Hangers and widow makers are real dangers.
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Have Bow Will Travel & I’ll bring a hard hat for hunting near the chop site if u need any assistance


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We timbered in the middle of the season last year and it surprised me how little it affected the deer, other than right at the area machinery and saws were running. Granted this was hardwoods so I think they were moving back in at night to eat tops on the ground, but if you can find areas out of the main action, still possible the hunting will be fine.
 
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