we have a crew on our club right now and they have started on one end and are working their way to the other thinning and chipping all the small scrub oaks and unwanted undergrowth making fuel chips...where they have been, the woods are now wide open...has anyone ever heard of this being done and if so, will it help or hurt the hunting once they are done??? obviously one benefit is increased visibility in the woods, but i'm wondering if the deer will be too stressed due to such a drastic and quick habitat change...any thoughts???

Can't speak from first hand experience, but to me it sounds bad for this season. What foraging there was within reach is being removed, with no chance for significant return growth until spring. What undergrowth that wasn't fit for foraging probably provided some cover and sense of security. I guess the total impact would depend on what options there are on surrounding property.

Might be time to break out the clorox.

If those newly thinned pine trees are between any type of bedding and feeding area, sounds like you've hit the jackpot. It should also be good when bucks are cruising looking for does. I'm assuming that they aren't doing it on the entire property. Thinned pines are awesome. The deer will still travel through them, and you can actually see them.

The deer won't be too stressed, trust me. Go and scout around behind the loggers, and I bet you'll be very surprised how many deer tracks you see.

if it allows sunlight to hit the ground and you need more browse and cover then it should be great. If you already have a ton of cover and browse then you'll just have more now.

If there is enough hardwood and brush in the understory to support a fuel wood operation then I would say this is nothing but positive for your hunting. The tracts I have seen being fuel wooded were so thick with yaupon and hardwood competition you could barely walk through them. The hunting should improve especially after the first growing season.