Should deer drives (gun hunters) be a legal hunting method?

I'm personally against them. I don't think it is right or even ethical but that is my opinion. My biggest reason for not liking them is that, with a gun, I'm not a good enough shot to try to even squeeze the trigger when there are deer running all over the place. I could see someone getting hurt very easily. JMO.

 

I've made my position on feeders clear, time and again here on the forum or even hunting over bait piles for that matter. I don't and don't condone or encourage it either. Also illegal in many many states. I would add that even hunting over a feeder or a bait pile, deer have their senses and free will intact and anyone that has ever tried it can tell you that there are no assurances that you will be successful bagging a mature deer over either. You still have to hunt and beat the animals senses and safety mechanisms.

For me the issue boils down to the limitations forced on the deer. To me, drives are no different than prehistoric tribesmen driving herd animals over a cliff and scavenging the corpses. They have no choice but to either run or standoff and go against the grain...which is very unlikely. Running headlong into a shooting gallery isn't a very good option either.

 

What I've seen in Pennsylvania mirrors this description. Usually it's a big family that has been in the area for awhile. They'll jump property to property, trespassing as well, from the first to the last day.

 

Hinging creates an unnatural barrier, essentially "forcing" the deer to go where you want them to. On drives I have done, deer have and will double back on you never allowing a shot. It's not like we all hold hands and herd the deer like cattle into a pen.... Deer will jump your "encouragement" just the same as they double back on a driver. In either case, they're CHOOSING where to escape danger...

 

Lol..

 

Sorry but wrong...no forcing occurs...trust me deer jump over hinging or weasle their way through if they truly desire...also they interact with the hinging on their time and their own choosing....I'm not forcing their movement at any time. Hinging can cause them to interact with their environment different when moving around by their own choice, driving removes choice from the equation and they have to react to the invasive walking.

This is not a good reason to defend deer drives...I"m not for them and could make a better argument.

 

Covey took it to an extreme haha....the cavemen line is priceless....let me pull you in from the deep end bud

 

I wanted to start a deer drive contest this year but Fitz said no.

 

Would you get points for fewest number of bullet holes? Could be like scoring golf, lowest number wins

 

He's an elitist :D

 

Little Finger strikes again!

 

Ah..yes. Another timeless classic example of hunters telling hunters what hunting is. Priceless.

By the way, without deer drives, our DNR would NOT be able to manage our deer herd. I may not participate, I may not love the idea, but it is necessary here without question.

 

I've taken part in deer drives and I will continue to do so. The camaraderie and excitement that comes with it is difficult to beat.

I laugh at those who don't consider deer drives to be hunting.

 

I don't personally care for deer drives but that doesn't mean it should be illegal.

 

The bowhunter in me is against them for selfish reasons only.

However, during gun season we do them, and we have a lot of fun on a good one. Aside from safety issues I haven't seen anyone make a solid point against them. Ethical shots are up to the hunter, no different than an archer shooting X yards at Y angle. Hold only yourself accountable. As far as safety, you have a plan before hand. The drivers know where the blockers are and make their presence known as they approach. As for the blockers, you know where you can and can't shoot. I've never been concerned about my safety during one. We've never trespassed and we've never had anyone trespass doing drives on the 500+ acres we gun hunt, that is not something I can't say for our fellow bowhunters...

And here's a real shocker, I've killed more deer being a driver and still hunting through the drive than I have blocking. But us deer drivers ain't nothing but a bunch of uneducated, drunk, unethical, trespassing rednecks...

 

I feel I must apologize to some for making such a broad statement. I'm sure that there are very ethical dog hunters out there. That being said in my 30 years of hunting in the Commonwealth, Old Dominion, state of VA (northern Va) where it is legal I have yet to see dog hunters properly handle their dogs. This is not to be confused with upland and duck hunters that seen very responsible. The deer dog hunters that I have seen are poster children for drunken, loud, sign shooting, trespassing, irresponsible deer slaughters. In northern VA the deer herd is out of hand as well and needs culling but not at the likes of people like this.


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This....

 

My personal opinion is this:

Cheating in hunting is doing something illegal to harvest your animal. There are rules and regulations in every state governing what you can and can't do. If it's illegal to do in your state, then it's cheating. I personally can not plant a food plot to attract deer in California. Here Fish & Game calls it baiting and it's illegal. In other states is perfectly legal and not cheating. I don't call the hunters in those states cheaters.

If someone does not AGREE with a hunting method, they simply don't have to agree with it and should move on. But I think to call someone a cheater because of a hunting method is wrong if it's not illegal. I have a pretty good feeling if I called people that hunt over a food plot a cheater, I wouldn't be well liked in the forum. AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, I'M NOT STATING THAT.

Simply put, cheating is breaking laws. Ethically and morally harvesting your animal is a whole nother discussion in itself. You can still be well within the laws and make poor decisions to try and harvest your animal.