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

Do you think deer drives should be legal? Is it really hunting? In SE Wisconsin there are many groups that never sit during the gun season. They just drive from wood lot to wood lot and "push" it.

 

**ll no!!!! That's not hunting, it's cheating. I hate seeing people do this. I also know I'll catch a lot of flack for saying it but that's how I see it. We have groups here that do that too and they go so far as to drive a lot of property they don't even have permission on. I have no respect for the practice or most who take part in it.

 

I see no reason why it wouldn't be. Deer drives used to be one of the most popular ways to hunt around the world and it still is in Europe. It can be a very valuable management tool to use when the deer go nocturnal.

 

NO!!!

 

I've participated in a few since I started rifle hunting, but by no means do we do it every year, and if we do do them it is on the last day. Haven't done one in probably 5 years now actually... I don't see it as "hunting".

 

Are we only saying no due to selfish reasons here on a bowhunting site?

 

PLease explain this question.

 

^ Good question
I personally don't like it and I don't like hunting with dogs either. Both methods are legal in VA.


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Do you think deer drives should be banned because you don't partake and it kills and pressures a lot of deer therefore making your bowhunting harder?

Or, do you have reasons it should be banned other than it affects you personally negativity?

 

I personally am against them, but I am also for legal hunting practices. If given a vote on whether to make them legal or not legal I would vote to make them not legal for a variety of factors:

-In my personal area I hunt not very many properties can withstand a drive even done properly and ensure safety...you are talking about usually taking shots at moving deer....granted if done by skilled hunters who control their gun's safely it wouldn't be an issue. But the sad fact is most people I know that do deer drives are not...how do I want to say this...the most skilled or safety conscious people. Does that mean everyone is that does one...no, so don't put that thought in my comments....but I feel overall the woods would be safer without them, especially in more rural settings like I deal with.

-Pressure on an already stressed animal. Developments, hunters, yotes and such put enough stress on these critters...I believe (no actual research or data) that high stress levels effect fawn survival in does and can affect a bucks ability to make it through harsh winters...drives just add to this pressure/stress level.

-I'm not an advocate of moving or running shots....period. It invites wounding to occur...and drives don't always result in running or moving targets but by their nature they deliver more than they don't.

-I'll bring up safety again, because it's a huge one for me.


In the end though like I stated...I personally would vote against it, but as long as it is legal I won't make an enemy of it due to any legal hunting practice I feel as a hunter needs defending until not legal, because the anti's love nothing more than division within us.

 

I don't think it should be banned because it is a valuable tool.
Dogs for deer hunting...SHOULD BE ILLEGAL! I've seen very few "slob" deer dog hunters. They trespass, drop dogs off on "NO HUNTING" properties to run deer out.


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It depends on how it is done. I personally hate it.

How many people practice running shots with their guns or bows? If we are honest maybe .001%. When you are pushing deer how many people take shots at a running/moving deer? I would guess way more than 50%.

 

Why shouldn't they be legal, that practice of hunting has been around longer than bowhunting for modern man...

I'm sure the same people crying NO are still more than happy to hunt over their food plot. Bowhunting is not an effective form of management. Gun hunting, and more prolifically, Drives are.

 

Should be illegal on public land for safety reasons.

I don't care what you do on private land.

 

I already stated I feel it's unsportsmanlike and cheating, so that's my main reason.

Doesn't effect me anyway, except for cases of trespassing on me while doing it...which is already illegal. Otherwise it doesn't effect my hunting directly. I agree with Tyni that it puts extra pressure on deer and that isn't a good thing for the deer. I also agree it's dangerous as hell too...though personally I wouldn't care if deer drivers shot themselves...it's their ignorant practice so they can take the risk but it would suck to be caught unknowingly in crossfire if they didn't know someone else was there. It's just stupid dangerous all around. Also it promotes poor shots and of the people here that I know that do it (including some of my family) it's more of a party affair where they consider it a good time with friends and plenty of beer.

I'd say man up, and get the job done like a man...not like a wolf pack. No deer is unkillable, nocturnal or not, that's a lame and quite frankly an excuse to take a lazy approach.

 

Interesting discussion, that's for sure. Coming from NY and spending a lot of time in the big woods of the Adirondacks where deer populations are in the 1-5 dpsm range, there really aren't a lot of ways that you can kill a deer up there without driving.

When I joined the camp I belong to in the Adirondacks I drove on average 8-10 miles per weekend for 6 weekends a year. It took me three years to see a deer. On average we kill 2-4 deer per year in a gang of 12ish guys. When we do kill a deer we can be anywhere from 2-5 miles from the closest point we can get with a truck or ATV so we have to then drag that deer out or quarter them and pack them out.

I think a lot of people are quick to cast judgement on the way other people hunt and honestly I'm tired of hearing it. I hear the same thing from many who hunt the big woods with me. They feel that sitting in a tree over a food source or food plot is the easy way and only lazy people would do that to kill a deer.

 

Well put bud, and I do think regionally thoughts will differ and experiences. I would guess the drives in the Adirondacks are quite different animal due to the sheer size of the woods...

 

Nailed it!

Great post Matt!

 

Yes, I still believe they should be legal. I still partake in them occasionally during rifle season here in PA (I always drive, I don't watch). It's one of my first and fondest memories of hunting for me. The rush of it all was exciting for a young 12yr old, and I still enjoy the commodore of large group drives as I hunt 99% alone now. Some of the best stories we've shared as a club (including hunts with my dad) involved drives.

I should also note our situation is similar but not as drastic as Matt's. Our club is very mountainous with a low dpsm. Our club on average, will take around 6 bucks a season with 25 members (usually 20 hunt at some point or another). Once rifle season hits, with all of the pressure from surrounding clubs (all 800 acres+) and ours, it can be effective, but we definitely kill more from watches than we do during drives.

The only thing that makes me leery is safety, and I agree with Hooker on that aspect.

 

We do deer pushes. We push quite a few spots. I am usually a sitter - but still. My first deer ever was on a push of a small chunk of woods. I am dang proud of that doe - it's not cheating to me.

But, everyone is different. Everyone will have a different opinion of every subject that is brought up. If it is legal in your state and you are hunting with all legal things (tagging, etc) - nothing wrong with it. Each their own.

Edit: All of our pushes are private land. We have roughly 500 acres to rifle hunt.