Effect of logging on animal numbers in forestry blocks

Hi team,

I went for a walk today to a forestry block that was logged in 2018 and 2019.
It was the most open country I've ever hunted in. Most of my previous hunting has been in tight bush. I was actually really looking forward to doing some longer range hunting.

However there wasn't a single animal to be seen. I thought 2 to 3 years would be plenty of time for the animals to come back after logging. Recent hunts in nearby blocks that weren't logged have been successful every single time.

For those of you that hunt in forestry blocks, do you find the animal numbers tend to be higher when the trees haven't been logged?

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I haven't hunted much forestry but in my experience the animals prefer to have somewhere to hide, even if the hunting pressure is quite low they just don't seem to like being so exposed.

Food. Shelter from the wind. Cover from predatory eyes. Not seeing any of it, not country I'd bother with, you could bump pigs down in the gully bottoms though.

The only animal I saw today was this. Got within 5m.

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i used to work at a local timber mill and had access to a large forest.deer were always in the trees and would find pigs out in the open sometimes

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Originally Posted by Synthetic

The only animal I saw today was this. Got within 5m.

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Neat pic, 5m is pretty damned close, well done that man!

Food and close handy cover are nescessities.

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Originally Posted by Synthetic

The only animal I saw today was this. Got within 5m.

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So you saw at least one hunter there.

Country like that is a waste of time. needs more cover and at least younger trees half grown before animals move back in there.
At night the odd animal may wander in but they not going to be out there in the day time.
Wasting your time. Anyway, if animals were appearing in that open country every man and his dog would be in there and wiping them out.
Theres a reason they not, cover, food, shelter and that has not much of either

Yep I agree with most of the guys comments, as an avid regular production forest hunter, food cover/shelter. It wont bee long the animals will bee back. Hunt the edges, gullies with water or scrub, early mornings or warm overcast/light rainy days.:thumbsup: Attachment 169574

Around the fringe country where there is still cover is a good place to start looking. They don't disappear just shift around a bit, once suitable cover grows back these areas would be primo.

Good long range practice for the 260

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Originally Posted by BeeMan

Yep I agree with most of the guys comments, as an avid regular production forest hunter, food cover/shelter. It wont bee long the animals will bee back. Hunt the edges, gullies with water or scrub, early mornings or warm overcast/light rainy days.:thumbsup: Attachment 169574

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Nice one, prime example of what we are saying.

Just before the new trees are planted most areas are blanket sprayed and although it looks like there's plenty of feed around there's normally bugger all around. Its always handy when there's a patch of native left. Bonus if there's a patch of karaka trees, there berries once dropped seam to be very appealing. Plus the loggers normally hit the area pretty hard, normally shooting anything that moves. Strangely enough the noise and activity dosent seem to bother the deer very much, they normally feel safe as they know everyone is working, its when it goes quite the soon know to dissappear.

Find that if the deer were living in the area prior to logging they will return after dark, especially straight after logging finishes. Most "cut over" get hammered by the "Murapara moonbean" and thermals. Coming to the time of the year also where more cover, handy food plus warmth becomes a priority.

As others have said you are wasting your time, if it was adjoining a large area of unfelled trees you might catch one on the edges first thing in the morning or last light. As others have also said production forestry gets sprayed before replanting so it will take a year or two before anything is edible again.

now wallabies on the other hand absolutely LOVE country in that state...spotlighting forestry block with young trees like that is mind blowing.

Our cut overs riddled with deer and goats but as mentioned earlier since it's being sprayed a month or so ago numbers are less in their they also have pretty handy native cover near by though but they do get caught out in the middle way out in the open

Hunt places like this for my work (forestry deer control).

I'd say a thermal is mandatory (if legal), use before first light and spot em, get into position before they move back to cover.

With broken ground like that, you won't find anything there during daylight hours.

As mentioned by many, that area will be hard work during the day at present. Worth looking for sign of repeated travel/trails. Concentrate on areas that border farmland/crops etc especially if they have a block of mature native. Once the pines are 6ft or so (2years) the deer will happily return and feed during the day if not pressured much.