Deer drives

[pryz366]

Whats your opinion on deer drives? I'm talking an army of people doing a drive. I hate it I feel there is no sport or skill involved in it. 

[turkeyfeathers]

Never been part of one.  Has to be well organized and make sure it's safe !  Orange and more orange on everyone.  Guys definitely pushed the other hill last night as I heard 50 shots per hour for about 2 hours.  I'm sure a lot of deer get "swiss cheesed " with all the volleys of shots.  If there's anyone you question their safety I wouldn't invite them

[Robhuntandfish]

i have done it with a couple of guys like twice.  i hated it cause all i did was worry where everyone was and that was with only like 5 guys.  

have done pushes where i am quite a ways from everyone and the other 2 guys are in spots where i would be safe. But no deer drives for me.  I know guys that do that and its a meat pile after.  

[rob-c]

We used to do them all the time. First few days of gun season  we would stand sit then we would do drives .  same woods every year with the same rotation of watchers and drivers. We all knew the woods very well and knew where watchers were stationed and where a driver was expected to come out . Never had any near misses etc. but we all had hunted together for many many years and you could trust the other guys . We would definitely have no problems filling tags . I do much prefer less pressured hunting now, but back in my youth that’s what we did.i can remember my dad had a old international one ton  stake body truck and a few times we had deer stacked like cord wood on the back...

[chrisw]

If organized properly they can be very effective and safe, tricky on public land also because you never know where someone else might be or wander into your drive unknowingly or knowingly... I much prefer to set a few guys on escape routes and have 1 or 2 guys still hunt a bedding area nice and slow, sometimes just letting your scent blow down through bedding will make the deer try to slip out nice and easy, I don't like shooting at running deer, running shots are always risky no matter who's shooting, if you do it often you're going to make bad shots. Also the only fawns I've ever killed were associated with drives, when you only have a split second to shoot there's not much time for identifying the deer. When done right they can be a blast, literally, when they're half assed and unorganized they're dangerous and not too successful...

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[upstate]

We did organized still hunts.  Some of these could take all day.  

Face it folks, by the end of this week deer are nocturnal. They will move for 2 reasons during the day, they're bumped by a hunter, or a hot doe is getting chased. So, you could sit in a stand all day and see nothing. 

There was a group of 8-12 of us that would set up these walks. Rules were simple, stay in line, finish the drive.  I have tagged out walking in these drives. Walking very slow and observing your surroundings, including your other walkers made me a better hunter.  If you ran ahead, you jeopardized your life and I watched family members get the boot from doing it for being dumb (running "into drive cause a big buck did, being out front of people and turning around and shooting a deer, not finishing the drive cause you hit a deer).  There were zero second chances and I trusted these people. It was fun most of the time. 

Walking fast, making noise, barking, yelling, etc. waste of time. In fact, if you're on watch, hold on to shoot ones sneaking back through. 

[Zag]

I wish all our neighbors did them so they would come by me!!

[Swamp_bucks]

Do them every now and then towards the end of the season. But certain rules. Orange from waste up, no high powered rifles, have to make noise so you can here the drivers coming, and anyone in the group must be approved by the 4 of us that have always hunted together. But the older i get the more i start to hate them. I kill more sitting but its also a tradition so its hard to stop.  But ive drifted more towards still hunting with a couple guys.

[Fletch]

1 hour ago, pryz366 said:

Whats your opinion on deer drives? I'm talking an army of people doing a drive. I hate it I feel there is no sport or skill involved in it. 

I think your opinion is pretty narrow minded is what I think lol.

 

I have done drives with the old timers up in the Dacks with over a dozen guys to maybe twenty when I was a young lad. No skill lol some of these drives took many hours and very specifically were set up by having knowledge of deer, their behavior and terrain familiarity. You were not even allowed the privilege to join a drive unless someone vouched for you, your safety and your accuracy. Then you were put on the worst middle areas of the drives where you got the swampiest, thickest pieces and in the middle of guys that were "trusted to drive right". It was a badge of respect to actually get important positions in the drive and great pride taken in putting up deer. Lots of history. We had drives named back generations ago like the "Meat Drive"," The Battery Run Drive", "Dead Man's Watch Drive"..... They were not spray and pray drives. I have witnessed a lot of very poor drives as I hunt on state land a lot. Those scare me!!

 

These days we do some mini drives where 2 to 6 of us may slowly work areas and we can have some success when the deer have been knocked nocturnal from all the pressure after the first week. The way we do these are well planned as well.

Edited November 20, 2017 by Fletch

[DDT]

Used to years ago. Same A-HOLE outlaw friend from Maine of my brother in law, shot at my son who was on watch, 2years running. Parted company with that group. He Never even apologized. Still makes me boil to this day. He's here hunting now. Anyone hunting between Prattsburgh and Naples watch out.

[Grizz1219]

A few guys still hunting an area while one or two others are sitting... fine.. Army drives are BS... 

[upstate]

12 minutes ago, DDT said:

Used to years ago. Same A-HOLE outlaw friend from Maine of my brother in law, shot at my son who was on watch, 2years running. Parted company with that group. He Never even apologized. Still makes me boil to this day. He's here hunting now. Anyone hunting between Prattsburgh and Naples watch out.

My very first drive with the group I do it with I was a walker and I was shocked at how slow they went.  I was second guy in and as we eased in I would only catch glimpses of guy to my left. About 200 yards in the guy on my right makes hand signs I take to be "I see 4 flat heads out front of him and I, be alert"  

Sure enough they come sneaking back right at me. On one knee I shoot 2. they take off right by me. 

Guy on my left? Comes walking right from where the deer where!  His father in law was a watching and watched the entire thing. He saw the deer and ran out front to get up the hill to get a shot. I never saw him after I took a knee. Something else his father in law saw.  When I saw this guy coming at me I was sick to my stomach. The old man threw him right off. Said , "second time this week Steve, no more drives for you"  We never hunted with him again. 

It took them all day to get me convinced they were not crazy bastards.  I have experiences that last a lift time with these guys. Like the time 4 watchers and 6 walkers got 13 deer, holed up next to an old town dump. Only dangerous thing that happened, a doe or two turned out to have legal bone 

[LET EM GROW]

I think a well organized drive with all like minded individuals is fun. It brings back the good ole days, a lot of laughs, good memories, fun times etc.. They do go against my theories in managing therefore i don't and wont do them anymore on land i manage. Unless a friend wants a hand on their own property or what not then i would. But i will say they were always fun and exciting, especially when they worked lol. I do miss putting drives on. cant say enough how much fun they were when i was younger. Post or push either way.. 

 

[DDT]

14 minutes ago, upstate said:

My very first drive with the group I do it with I was a walker and I was shocked at how slow they went.  I was second guy in and as we eased in I would only catch glimpses of guy to my left. About 200 yards in the guy on my right makes hand signs I take to be "I see 4 flat heads out front of him and I, be alert"  

Sure enough they come sneaking back right at me. On one knee I shoot 2. they take off right by me. 

Guy on my left? Comes walking right from where the deer where!  His father in law was a watching and watched the entire thing. He saw the deer and ran out front to get up the hill to get a shot. I never saw him after I took a knee. Something else his father in law saw.  When I saw this guy coming at me I was sick to my stomach. The old man threw him right off. Said , "second time this week Steve, no more drives for you"  We never hunted with him again. 

It took them all day to get me convinced they were not crazy bastards.  I have experiences that last a lift time with these guys. Like the time 4 watchers and 6 walkers got 13 deer, holed up next to an old town dump. Only dangerous thing that happened, a doe or two turned out to have legal bone 

Sick to stomach, explained it perfect. I hunt for enjoyment. If i don't feel right I don't do it. We work harder for our deer but I enjoy hunting with my son and want it to stay that way.

[upstate]

4 minutes ago, DDT said:

Sick to stomach, explained it perfect. I hunt for enjoyment. If i don't feel right I don't do it. We work harder for our deer but I enjoy hunting with my son and want it to stay that way.

There is not a deer in the world worth hurting someone over. 

 

This group of guys was involved in a walk where a 16 year old kid snuck into the middle of the drive, on posted property (local farm kid) , in carharts, and killed a deer. He got up to check it and there were a bunch in front of him between drivers. Drivers shot and killed a deer. And found him gasping for his life. He died.   

 

I would much rather take a slow walk, on land I know, with people I know. Than be anywhere around a group of clowns that haven't a clue how to hunt 

[Just Lucky]

Alot of fun back in the day before every piece of land was posted. Family and friends all got together. It was a community event. Can not do anymore cause of land access but that's ok. Back then bigger quantity of deer where seen and taken. Now fewer deer seen while hunting. Maybe cause no one drives anymore or cause predators such as bears coyote and bobcat were a rarity 20 years ago in my area

[Doc]

I have no particular love for deer drives because I guess I like to think that getting a deer is an individual act of one hunter vs. 1 deer. But I have to admit that back when the big drives were commonplace, the deer were always on the move, creating opportunities for everybody in the woods.

Today, with modern miracle fabrics, what few guys that are left  go off into the woods and climb into their stand or hunker next to a big tree and spend the entire day motionless. Meanwhile, a few hundred yards away the deer find their favorite hidey-hole and spend the day safely hiding and a long boring quiet day passes  with no venison.

That's not the way it was back in the day of the drives.

[Nomad]

Man we sure killed a lot of deer on drives back in the day  big fun !

Heres how we did them . We had guys who hunted the area  for decades and know where  the deer will run to . You push one woods and the watchers are on other woods and thickets sometimes a half a mile away , across roads you name it . 

I had red 5 gallon buckets that my watchers were to sit on , don't move them don't move yourself sit there and wait . 

I knew one group who would drive one woods to the next to,the next with no watchers, just some guys walking the outside to contain them , finally at the last woods all the deer would meet the watchers .

Frankly I think that's some skill  .

[E J]

We do a few little drives around my place. Mostly narrow strips of woods with 3-4 guys. When done properly they are productive and fun. Got this doe on one after lunch today.

[bigpaul]

Use to do them all the time.  Very productive if set up right.  I was a driver most of the time and like seeing all the sign, even killed a few.  Now I like low pressure hunting and keeping those deer on my hunting grounds.  But if you want some action and want to fill the freezer, go for.  Be safe and have fun!

[Moho81]

We do one big one on the last sunday every year. It’s very organized between the walkers and the sitters. I like it as it’s an eventful way to end the season and hunt with your buddies. We have had very successful years and very unsuccessful years


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[jperch]

We have a group that has hunted together for many decades and have a camp bordering state land in 9P.  It's a nice place to hunt during bow season.  During gun season there are large groups who drive all the state land.  They have shot and left fawns, throw their beer bottles on the ground and try to get other hunters to leave "their" woods because they are going to drive it. The DEC has tried to do what they can but what happens in the woods is hard to control.  On Monday they walked directly beneath a relative who was dressed in orange of course.  I gave up gun hunting this area, it no longer felt like hunting to me.  I made an effort to find private land to gun hunt on and now really enjoy gun season again.  I'm sure that drives can be done in an ethical and safe manner, but I just have not seen it at our camp.  How can you drive public land with 15 or 20 hunters when you know there are other hunters already there that you will be interfering with?  Other hunters I know have given up hunting this area for the same reason.  By the way, 9P is an area with few doe permits granted, this may be the reason they have left shot fawns in the woods.

jperch