This is why some drive deer....

[Nomad]

Got this pic. Once removed from a hunter there. Camp where over last week end the camp drove all week end seemed to work ok.....

[stoneam2006]

Yep thats a successful drive....

[bisceglia]

damn surprised that railing did collapse with all the dead weight, looks like a successful weekend.

[Nomad]

damn surprised that railing did collapse with all the dead weight, looks like a successful weekend.

Ha I thought same thing, does not look tied to joists but railings above

[G-Man]

Yep, too much sit and wait on tv. Driving Der is becoming a lost art/skill

[First-light]

We put on one drive last Saturday. 2 standers 2 pushers,  I saw 14 deer in a span of 15 minutes. They work for sure but just not my favorite way to hunt.

[Mr VJP]

It takes a good sized group, organization, some leadership, cooperation and a lot of experience by all, to do it right.  Most deer drive groups have been doing it together for many years.  They know the lands they drive better than their own back yards.  There is a rigid pecking order and appointed leadership.  They have strict rules and procedures.  You become part of a team that is not just hunting, they're a hunting production.

 

Every hunter should experience it once in their lifetime, but you have to be invited to get in on a good drive club.

 

[Curmudgeon]

However, when one of these groups drive right over you, it's time to quit for the day.

[turkeyfeathers]

Poor Santa's sleigh is going to be a biatch to haul around himself

[First-light]

However, when one of these groups drive right over you, it's time to quit for the day.

 

Yeah they need to know their boundaries. Just because the land owner is from out of town doesn't mean the flood gates open to the drivers. All my years hunting I see this happen every year by local drivers. They get bored with the traditional hunt and need land to do the drives, nobody is safe.

[Twax10]

Yep, too much sit and wait on tv. Driving Der is becoming a lost art/skill

 

 

I couldn't agree more. Too many people wanna be like the Lakowskis or Wadell and forget how people killed NY deer for years and years.

[Nomad]

Mr VJP nailed it. We used to do them for years and years. I had red plastic buckets I placed for watchers to,sit on with the instructions don't move it,don't think it looks better a little bit over there, I don't care if you think that is a stupid spot you will kill deer there.

After years of learning where they run to we don't need free thinkers.....

We pushed farm woods and often the watchers were 1/4 to sometimes close to a mile from the woods being pushed, but we knew the exact tree or bush that they would run past entering the next woods.

They get bad raps from those that think you put guys at one end of the woods and push to guys standing at the other end with everyone firing every which away !

Edited December 3, 2014 by Larry302

[Doc]

So, what is the traditional way of splitting up the meat when there is that many people involved. Does everybody get together an do the butchering and then split up the meat by the pound? I never participated in more than a 2-man drive (1 stander-1 driver).

[Bow Addict]

The only problem with doing deer drives,once you start you'll never see another deer unless you drive.Forget sitting.It's not for everyone.

[Mr VJP]

"They get bad raps from those that think you put guys at one end of the woods and push to guys standing at the other end with everyone firing every which away ! "

 

Sadly, there are a lot of guys out there every year who do just that, because they have no idea how a real deer drive is done.

 

Edited December 3, 2014 by Mr VJP

[Mr VJP]

So, what is the traditional way of splitting up the meat when there is that many people involved. Does everybody get together an do the butchering and then split up the meat by the pound? I never participated in more than a 2-man drive (1 stander-1 driver).

 

 

Each club has it's own method, but most divide all the meat in equal portions to all who want some. All have to work on gutting and butchering the deer as well.  Everyone pulls their weight or is sent away from the club.  A lot of drive clubs have members who don't want the meat.  Many are farmers who just want to control the herd that decimates their crops.

[HOUNDS77]

This is the way I grew up hunting in NZ. Big woods..few hunters..it was the way to get deer moving.

[Mr VJP]

The only problem with doing deer drives,once you start you'll never see another deer unless you drive.Forget sitting.It's not for everyone.

 

This is not true.  Many deer learn how drives work too.  They will lay low, let drivers pass and then circle back away from the shooters.  They also learn how to tell when a drive is forming by learning what it means when a lot of cars start showing up with a lot of men getting out of them.

 

Often club members will hunt alone in the evening, on land that was just driven that morning, and still take very nice deer.

 

Drives are not 100% effective at taking every deer in the woods.  The ones they miss are often the biggest and smartest deer around.

Edited December 3, 2014 by Mr VJP

[growalot]

The guys at camp use to do drives....I have watched from a ridge as deer would literally stand up 10ft from a guy and walk in the opposite direction...not bolt ,...run..... just walk away.

[Meat First]

Ok guys so what is the safe and right way to do a drive?  I have a small group (4 to 5) hunters and two of them are new to hunting and most of their experience is bow hunting from a treestand.

Conventional thinking is setting posters at one side of woodlot and driving from the opposite side.  Doesn't sound like the safest method.  Been hunting for 30 years and have never been part of a drive and would like to try it!!!

[bubba]

For many years it was the way we hunted.   we id a huge swamp on state land.  All the ridge hunters would push the deer into the swamp and we would move them around.  No one wore orange, everyone knew where everyone was ans no one got shot at or even close. we shoot a lot of very nice deer that way.  I disagree that you never see deer after you start driving.  We saw as many after a drive was done trying to sneak back to where they were driven out of.  Plus if you sit still after a drive it is not time to go home, it is time to sit there and wait a while.  The deer do not move out of the county.  they go back arounda and go back to where they were before you drove. We have driven a section of the swamp in the am go back in the pm drive it again see deer again.  It is not rocket science.

[JFB]

Not all drives are created equal; nor are the participants. Unfortunately, 95% of what I see are guys who take low percentage shots at any brown object (because tags are plentiful and often shared). 

 

Just this past weekend I was talking with a fellow hunter in a parking spot and he was about to head the opposite direction of my land. After speaking he started walking in the field the opposite direction when within roughly 15 seconds a shot rang out. I about crapped myself and turned to see what appeared to be a doe running straight away from him as he lobbed his second shot. He shrugged his shoulders and kept walking. 

 

[G-Man]

Ok guys so what is the safe and right way to do a drive? I have a small group (4 to 5) hunters and two of them are new to hunting and most of their experience is bow hunting from a treestand.

Conventional thinking is setting posters at one side of woodlot and driving from the opposite side. Doesn't sound like the safest method. Been hunting for 30 years and have never been part of a drive and would like to try it!!!

you need to learn escape routes and what direction deer tend to go with various winds and driver entrances. You can't make a deer go where it doesn't want to... this is done by trial and eror. Your sanders need to know direction drivers are coming from and safe directions to shoot. If the world record buck is between you and a driver you cannot shoot! We prefer to put sanders in elevated positions as the drivers often get shots at deer and elevating them helps eliminatell dang er. Again the drivers need to know where standers are so they are not shooting in their direction or in direction of other drivers.this is also very important if a standers shoot a deer and even if it's the biggest in the world they do not leave their a assigned spot for any reason during the drive. No one tracks or recovers deer till drive is done. Seems like a lot of rules. But someone needs to be in charge and lay down the law. It's safety first!

[jjb4900]

you need to learn escape routes and what direction deer tend to go with various winds and driver entrances. You can't make a deer go where it doesn't want to... this is done by trial and eror. Your sanders need to know direction drivers are coming from and safe directions to shoot. If the world record buck is between you and a driver you cannot shoot! We prefer to put sanders in elevated positions as the drivers often get shots at deer and elevating them helps eliminatell dang er. Again the drivers need to know where standers are so they are not shooting in their direction or in direction of other drivers.this is also very important if a standers shoot a deer and even if it's the biggest in the world they do not leave their a assigned spot for any reason during the drive. No one tracks or recovers deer till drive is done. Seems like a lot of rules. But someone needs to be in charge and lay down the law. It's safety first!

what he said.......

[Huntscreek]

Different stokes for different folks, I don't mind people driving as long as they are not passing by my stand at 9am. There's many ways to skin a deer (cat), I like to still hunt and stand hunting is my number one option. One question why hang your deer from head to hock, Blood settles in the best meat, I butchered many animals and always hang neck down to bleed out, get the hide off fast let the meat cool. It seems to work for me but to each there own. Nice string of deer there so driving does work for sure.