Bulldozer 2 weeks before season???

Charlieyca

Active Member
I have 35 acres in NC. Our muzzleloader season starts sept 30. I have been trying for 2 years to get the forest service to our farm to bulldoze the border as a fire break and to make access easier. They called today and are able to get it done. They give preference to the larger tracts, in their words "make more of a difference". Anyways this may be my best shot to accomplish this. Would you do it or be worried it would drasticly affect this deer season? If you do it, how would you make sure you limit the negative effects?
 
Let them do it...machinery working doesn't seem to negatively affect deer that much or at least that has been my experience. Deer were all over my cameras right after dozer shut down for the day...
 
I just had five days of dozer work done. Every morning when we went in, we would see deer standing in the fresh worked dirt. Doze it and hunt it that afternoon
 
DO IT!

You will find that deer won't go far....it may chase off a monster, but deer in general will be back the very night it is done. Just watch the area they clear and you will see deer tracks shortly after. Be prepared to plant if that is the plan. Work like this can be a great way to add a food plot, browse or cover to a property if allowed.

It's also a short term issue with a huge long term impact. Timing may not be perfect, but it's a blip in the overall time frame of the work you are doing. I had some logging done that took a couple weeks and you could see where deer had walked the skidder trails from day to day.

Put up a trial cam and just watch!
 
To me a fire break would take priority over deer hunting no matter what time of year it was. Also as has been stated you can't run a deer off its home turf. If they have to leave the dozer overnight put a camera on it and watch how many pics you'll get. They are curious creatures.
 
I think a fire break will stir up the activity. We did some work on my land and the deer flocked in to eat at the small tress that we knocked down. Also if your a gun hunter they make great shooting lanes.
 
I concur with all the above. I've made my living running a dozer or supervising the same. I can't tell you how many times I've seen deer tracks all over in fresh dirt, and have even seen them eating leaves off trees that I had piled while I was working a short distance away.
 
Following this with interest

35 acre pine stand currently being thinned

Will report back on deer activity(or lack thereof!) ,sign,etc

bill
 
When we logged ~35 acres a few years ago, the buck activity remained very high on the property but the does and turkeys disappeared. The turkeys came back within the year but it took 2 years for the does to return. It was very much worth it in the end, and if this is when the dozer can can come then by all means tell them to come!
 
I'll pile on. Git 'er done. Last year I had logging done on my property. I insisted they be done by September 1 with an October 1 archery opener, but they didn't finish until September 23. I had my best hunting season yet on the property.
 
I agree, let them do it. The year I was building my house I saw deer almost every day while working on it. During bow season I was nailing vinyl siding one afternoon and decided to go sit the last hour before dark and shot one of my better bucks with in sight of the house. Could still see my tool belt laying on the porch.
 
I had my 97 acres logged this year from March until the end of July and I saw no difference in deer activity. I actually got more turkeys now.
 
Even during deer season would be OK with me.A perimeter road can really help in decreasing perceived pressure and is worth any short term hunting interruption which may not occur anyhow.
 
I was running a skid steer with mulching head last weekend, Friday evening & Saturday morn.

When I headed back to the machine Saturday morn, there were a ton of fresh tracks in the newly cut areas.


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Meeting with the forest service today at the farm to go over the details. Hope to get this done soon, make access so much easier and clear up some more land for plots.
 
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