To drive, or not to drive

[Zone35killer]

How many of you guys on here do drives? Grew up mainly bow hunting and rifle hunting out of state, so I’ve never experienced driving. Always loved the part of deer hunting that the deer had no clue you’re there. Not really a fan of driving for myself, but I see the pros and cons to it. Mainly the worst con is safety, and the best pro is the fellowship and bsing with your friends and family. What are your guys thoughts? I don’t want anyone to think I’m being judgmental, was thinking about getting a drive together myself, just to experience it.  I think I’d like driving just for does myself, don’t want to shoot buttons though, and it be impossible to tell. I’m pro any legal method of hunting. 

[yoda4x4]

I personally believe driving deer on public land should be banned and kept legal on private land.

To me the yo buck style of shooting deer isn't a form of hunting. I'd be more open to guys doing a silent drive where they use their scent to bump the deer instead of the deer running full tilt in high gear. This is one of the main reasons I stopped hunting Assunpink years ago.

I'm sure this post will probably tick some members off and make me look like an elitist. ... And I'm ok with that.

David

Sent from my moto g(6) play using Tapatalk

[Devil Horns]

I see the issues with driving state land and disturbing an area for pot hunters. I have capitalized on big club drives and had drives booger up an area before.

We typically do 1 or 2 drives towards the end of the season to change things up a little and give the kids some action when it is really cold and sitting for long periods of time becomes difficult for the kids. 

They have their place at times. We do small silent drives to bump the deer and try to get them moving towards our standers. 

[mazzgolf]

9 minutes ago, Zone35killer said:

was thinking about getting a drive together myself, just to experience it.

First, let me get out my because you just lit a forest fire.  

But, I can honestly say my first year hunting, I participated in a morning drive because I too just wanted to see what it was like.

I hated it. It wasn't safe (at least, I didn't feel safe). And I just didn't enjoy it - when I go into the woods for hunting, I go for solitude, peace, and quiet - none of which you get when driving.

Of course, I was partially soured because it was a friend of a friend who invited us (so I didn't know them from Adam) and they said they had permission to hunt where we drove, but one time we had the cops come and kick us out. I was thinking "if I get a ticket because these people trespassed when they told me they had permission, I'm gonna be pissed." We just moved on to the next spot - whether we had permission for that next spot, I have no idea. I promised myself from that day on, I would only hunt when I personally knew and could personally guarantee I had permission to hunt where I was. I no longer trust anyone that says, "Oh, yeah, we have permission to be here."

Anyway, was not my cup of tea all around. I left after lunch and didn't bother going on the afternoon drives.

[Zone35killer]

1 minute ago, yoda4x4 said:

I personally believe driving deer on public land should be banned and kept legal on private land.

To me the yo buck style of shooting deer isn't a form of hunting. I'd be more open to guys doing a silent drive where they use their scent to bump the deer instead of the deer running full tilt in high gear. This is one of the main reasons I stopped hunting Assunpink years ago.

I'm sure this post will probably tick some members off and make me look like an elitist. ... And I'm ok with that.

David

Sent from my moto g(6) play using Tapatalk
 

No you are honest, if people get ticked off by that let them. Be honest about everything you do and let people get mad at you. If I make a bad shot I never say I mad a good shot, if you don’t like the way someone does something, say it. 

[Kype]

i personally dont care for driving deer. however its legal and guys do it. my kind of hunting is finding a good spot and sit quietly. 

i have done one deer drive. just didnt feel right to me. i would imagine with the wrong group of guys, it could get dangerous. 

[Zone35killer]

4 minutes ago, Ryanm said:

Good and bad. Don’t shoot many mature bucks. Need to push the deer where they wanna go. For example walk through woods to a bedding area jump a bunch of deer, where do they run what’s they’re safety route? That’s where you have standers waiting. Easy to tell difference between buttons and does a lot of times If theyre not pushed too hard you can watch them for a while before they get to you. Push mountains or wood thickets with a few guys bordering a field edge ect. But if you think you’re driving that land trust good luck. In thick areas like that deer will bed and walk circles around the drivers. I used to love doing drives my favorite memories with my grandpa he would sit me and my brother down and do pushes to us, deer would come around 10 yards sometimes and stop and stand looking for the driver. Sounds like horses running through the woods when you get 20-40 deer grouped up together. Haven’t done drives in years though, I used to strategically place my stand during 6 day on my club property where all the deer would funnel from the drivers

Good info Ryan. And I’d never drive the land trust. Your dad would beat me off with a stick if I even dared. 

[Rusty]

I grew up hunting by myself.  Several clubs in our area drove the crap out of every patch of woods that might hold deer, regardless of wether it was public or private land.  The weekend before the season opened they would walk all the spots they planned to drive and tore down any stands that they found so that no one would interfere with their drives.

Needless to say I've always had a very negative attitude towards clubs that do drives.  

[Zone35killer]

11 minutes ago, mazzgolf said:

First, let me get out my because you just lit a forest fire.  .

I know I did lol. I have a bad habit of asking questions that people don’t like to talk about. 

And like I also said. Not a fan myself, but I’d try anything. Rather have my bow in hand 20 feet up in a tree. 

[mazzgolf]

31 minutes ago, Zone35killer said:

best pro is the fellowship and bsing with your friends and family.

I can see that. My one and only experience driving was with a bunch of people I didn't know, except for my one friend (and he's the one who knew a guy in the club who invited us). Everyone else I never met until that morning.

I suppose if it's your family and close friends, I can see it being a fun day out (I would also trust them to be safe - having a bunch of people I don't know in front of me and to the left and right of me with shotguns shooting at anything that moves was not particularly enjoyable ) 

Edited November 12, 2018 by mazzgolf

[vdep217]

Well organized drives can be fun and productive.  I participate for a change of pace from sitting in the tree all of bow season..  yes we're have killed mature bucks yes we have killed spikes...  I also stand hunted prior and used clubs to my advantage...  as for the silent drive comment..  you don't always see the guy next to you. Do you hear were he is... again well organized and saftey first

[vdep217]

Also a way to scout

[Psehunter]

I love deer drives, look forward to getting together with all my buddies/family and filling the freezer after sitting all bow session...don't see anything wrong with it if done right...if it's legal then why not, it like the old bow or crossbow conversation

[deadonshot2]

I hunt from my stand opening day or two and then go help a club with a lot of old members mid week for deer drives. Then it is back to my stand. I wish the state would change the driving rules on WMA's though. It does disturb an awful lot of stand hunters. Not all areas are created equal. My big buck spot is susceptible to any disturbance. So after first time it gets driven--- those deer are nocturnal until January and sometime not until end of january do I get a day time picture. Other places can get driven every day and deer will be back there next day. But also do not have the mature bucks there. It does seem like several clubs have gone away from lack of members and others drive part of week and sit other part. So it is definitely not as big of a shitfest as it used to be. 

[G3 driver]

Organized drives are fun. It's a change of pace and a tradition for most. Safety is number one, a silent drive in most cases especially in the pines is not safe. Deer clubs get a bad rep as they ruin the woods and disrespectful. Been reading about stuff getting stolen all year and the deer clubs haven't entered the woods..