BigGameHunt.net Hunting Forums

BigE · Joined: 29 Oct 2003 Posts: 241

My wife's uncle shot a little blackie on a deer drive last week. He came up over a ridge and right past him so he decided to take him. I think he dressed out around 115lbs or so. Nice coat on him though.. He was happy.

bitmasher · Joined: 27 Feb 2002 Posts: 2650 Location: Colorado

Did you tell your wife's uncle he was a better bear driver than a deer driver? :wink:

OZSTRIKER22 · Joined: 02 Sep 2003 Posts: 165 Location: Sunny San Diego

Are deer drives effective? How many people does it take to do one? What is the process?

I've never heard about one...

hunter777 · Joined: 28 Oct 2003 Posts: 1473

In my opinion it can be one of the most effective ways to hunt, where I hunt. We drive with 2 to 5 people and break the drives down into small woodlots. If the driven area is too big, there are too many places for the deer to slip trough unseen.

OZSTRIKER22 · Joined: 02 Sep 2003 Posts: 165 Location: Sunny San Diego

How do you drive them? Everyone walks in a line and if a deer pops up you shoot it? I'm sorry, but I just don't quite understand it still... Thanks!

hunter777 · Joined: 28 Oct 2003 Posts: 1473

We walk through quietly, not compleatly quiet but not so loud that you send the deer running full bore outa there. They will here you no matter what, even if you are trying to sneak up on them. Walk slow but deliberatly toward the standers. You just want to bump them so they get out ahead of you. They will move slowely and carefully that way, giving the stander a good shot.
Stander should have his face in the wind and the driver should have the wind at his back. At the very least the standers scent "cone" should not blow into the woods being driven.

hunter777 · Joined: 28 Oct 2003 Posts: 1473

I spoke to the butcher today. he does a lot of the deer for the hunters i know. i asked him if he would put our bear in the cooler on monday. he told me he'd rather put needles in his eyes!
He also told me that one of his deer hunters took a video of a deer drive today here in NJ. They pushed 13 bears out of an area on one drive!

supersider34 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 274

OZ I do this for my wife in a area that is a guarantee buck for my wife. If she shoots straight.LOL Small bucks though. I set her up in a small canyon and I go back down the river and I walk threw the woods along the river and they go threw the trees and when they hit the end of the trees they run to the hills across a open field. They usually run up the canyon she is in. But this last year the buck she took went up another canyon and we had to hike up in there after we met up over there. Had 5 bucks in there that I was pushing. She shot the biggest which was a 3x3. I saw every buck in there within 100 yds of me but would rather have her have a open hill shot instead of trying to shoot threw the trees. Out in the open she has more time to set up and take her time for a good shot instead of trying to rush a shot.

bitmasher · Joined: 27 Feb 2002 Posts: 2650 Location: Colorado

I've done similar as to what Supersider describes with my hunting group for elk and mule deer. It works well... sometimes... depending on the cover and luck the game may or may not go where you want.

At least here, in my experience, if your hunting in the middle of a hot day after a clear night; driving could be your only option to get the game up and about.

BigE · Joined: 29 Oct 2003 Posts: 241

Drives are great for small areas where the deer get pressured in to. We usually have 3 to 6 people per drive depending on the area and we post our standers stragically in an attempt to set up a screen that the jumped deer will travel past one of them giving them a good safe shot. They generally work very effectively... that is if the deer are in the area we are driving...!