Anyone here do them? Seems to have become a lost part of hunting. I've been doing them for 35 + years. Started out as a young kid at our local archery club. I think we had as many as 50 guys n gals during a weekend. Had piles of land to hunt and after morning post, we'd gather at the club house and the older guys would formulate the days plan. Looking back now, lots of mistakes were made. Mostly, pushing deer into "lets get the hell outta here" For the past 20 years, our groups have shrunk considerably. Mostly just 3-4 of us. Goal is to get the deer "bumped" but not into full flight. It can work SO awesome!!. Late season with snow is my favorite. Gonna spend tomorrow doing a few for a couple buddies that still have tags. Its a great tool to use for those that still hunting and time running out. Give it whirl
I've been in on them but mainly during muzzleloader season. I've watched hunting public do what they call wind bumps. They get upwind of the deer and try to get the deer to move towards the standers. Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
I have not ever done them with archery tackle but every year for the past 30 + years there has been a group of guys that go up to northern pa to do nothing but drive with our flintlocks.so much fun. We’ve had permission to hunt 100’s of acres of awesome private land but only for the late season. Honestly I feel I would have a better chance with my bow!! There has benne as any as 15 of us but usually around 8-10 people. Everyone usually gets a shot opportunity or two but due to the nature of weapon being used the kills are not near what they should be. I think the best we’ve ever done was 7 out of 8 guys but the 8th guy missed 4 times. I remember one year in particular that I had multiple drives where I was a stander and had 30 deer come by me single file. Usually super cold and covered in snow this time of year. I’m actually getting geared up to head up there on Monday for a 3 day adventure with8 other hunters. Can’t wait. 20” of snow there now and expected to snow Monday and Tuesday. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
Happy. With deep snow, they will usually always follow a trail as long as there aren't scared outta there skin. Wearing whites can do WONDERS! Jim. We always take the wind direction into play before starting. I've had 100 deer come by me once along a river stretch. Can't say for sure but guessing I've been in on 200+ archery deer drive kills. Just a great way to pass the time if you have some willing people. Food for thought for those that have never considered it. I like sitting in thick stuff where deer come through thinner stuff first. They just seem to check-up once the hit thicker cover to check their back trail.
I used to go over to northern Wisconsin to deer camp, they do drives all day every day on county and paper company land. I don't feel comfortable shooting at a running deer so I don't buy a gun license anymore. Sounds fun if done right with a bow. Thing is you have to have people that can walk a line thru the woods without going off course or getting lost.
Like a lot of people, I have been a part of plenty of deer drives while gun hunting. That's pretty much all we did in Northern WI when I was a kid. As a bowhunter, it's just not my thing. Part of what I enjoy the most about bowhunting is the chess match of outsmarting the animal on it's own terms. Shooting a deer that someone else pushed toward me simply doesn't interest me. I have nothing against doing it, and when it's done properly I'm sure it's effective and fun, it's just not my cup of tea.
Justin, trust me, late season deer can be super cagey being driven. Late season drives we do is all about "just being done" for the year. Brown its down kinda thing. Making meat so too speak. The fellas I hunt with are diehard bowhunters and pass on MANY deer throughout the year. But sometimes the big bucks we target don't get kilt. Also, we usually have doe tags. Most of us don't like to kill does while sitting waiting for our "big buck" Furthermore, its just plain-ass fun getting together late season. We're usually kinda protective and standoffs during our "buck hunts". 4 of us got together today. Me n a 78 pal made a drive along a winding/NASTY creek bottom towards his 2 sons. We pushed about 20 deer to them. The one son drilled a nice doe and the other whiffed. Driving deer is more then just killing deer. Its time spent with good people during mid-day instead of being home on the couch watching f#@tball. Anywhoo, if you haven't tried it and have a tag to fill but are getting burnt out sitting in a stand freezing your ass off, line up a few pals and give it a try. We had a fantastic time today! Edited too add. The funnest part was. Once we got her dragged out to the truck, we sat around,ate samitches, cookies and bullchitted. Something that would not happen hunting "primetime"
Most on here are opposed to hunting deer with hounds. It is a southern thing for sure. I have killed close to 200 deer with hounds and buckshot. I have killed some really big bucks as well. It takes no hunting skill to kill one this way. other than making a shot. no scouting, no prep, no scent control etc.. But it sure is sweet music listening to hounds run. It's not for everybody. But down here in the VA/NC/SC eastern counties it's a big deal and has been going on for 400 years. I do it every year from mid Nov to first week of Jan. It doesn't compare to bowhunting for me. My passion is bowhunting, but my southern roots are deep and hound hunting is part my culture here in SE Va.
Excellent VAbowmen! Never done that but I can imagine thats piles 9f fun. I just got into running coyotes with hounds 3 years ago. I was against it until I went with some guys that had hounds and invited me along. Now I can't wait until they call and wanna go. Great fun.
One of my first archery bucks was killed “driving” a small urban woodlot. These are slow controlled drives using the drivers scent to move deer. It was fun. I have done it a couple times on a freestanding 10 acre piece of woods that is a thick and nasty bedding area. We didn’t shoot anything but not for a lack of opportunity. Not my preferred way to hunt but I’m always down for mixing things up from time to time.
Deer drives for us are a thing of the past it seems. We only did them with guns. One of my uncles does it every year with bows on their lease just for what you said, kill does and put meat in freezer. Im on the side of theyre “not my cup of tea” but as a tradition and for comraderie i think theyre a blast. Kinda like shotgun season in general for me. Id never go gun hunting alone just to gun hunt. Those events are like holidays to me. In illinois we can only do them on private land
I’m at camp now with same group of guys and had a good first 2 days. So far everyone but 2 has got one hanging. So much fun chasing them around. Deer everywhere. We had 4 different standers in one drive kill today. Perfect setup!! Will try to get pics up of the crew and meatpole.
That is awesome Happy. Its just a good feeling getting together with friends and doing drives. I freeking love it!
Ended up with best year ever since we’ve been doing it. Roughly 30 years. 9 deer for 8 hunters. Only one person didn’t fill a tag. He did have opportunities “6 missed”. They got one after I left but pic is if everyone in camp except me. Sooo much fun!!
