There are a variety of different tactics to hunting trophy whitetails. Some hunters
call them in, some hunt over scrapes, and others use decoys. One of the oldest and
most productive ways to tag a monster buck is to conduct a deer drive. Whitetails
can be elusive critters, especially large bucks. When hunters have tried every hunting
tactic they know and still come up empty-handed, many hunters choose a deer drive
with a handful of hunters.
A deer drive is like hunting pheasants with a group of hunters; the difference is
they are hunting deer, not pheasants. A deer drive is usually made up of five to
ten hunters. Most of the hunters make a long line in the woods and slowly walk through
the woods, driving deer towards one or two hunters who are in position at the other
end of the woods. When a buck goes walking or running by, the hunter shoots the
deer. In some cases, shooters are placed on the sides and in front.
Most hunters who enjoy driving deer typically do it in a familiar section of woods.
They usually know where deer bedding areas are located. In most cases, hunters form
a line and quietly push through a section of woods. Hunters who regularly drive
the same section of woods know the area well enough to block potential escape routes.
The goal is to make sure the buck goes in the direction the hunters intend it to.
If the deer knows about a way to get around the drivers, they might escape without
being seen by the shooter or the drivers. Making sure the group of hunters block
off the entire section of woods they are hunting in is important.
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Many deer drives fail because the group of hunters makes too much noise as they
work their way through the woods. The goal should be to work slowly and make as
little noise as possible. If a buck jumps from his bed scared out of his mind, he
will likely bolt through the woods so quickly that the drivers and the hunter at
the end of the drive won´t get a shot at him. By moving slowly and quietly,
eventually the buck will know the drivers are in the woods, get up from his bed
and wander off, hopefully walking by the hunter. It can be difficult for many hunters
to remain quiet in the woods so here are a few things hunters can do to ensure they
quietly nudge a buck from his bedding area and not push him out of the country.
Don´t scream back and forth from one end of the line to the other. In a day
and age when technology is everywhere, hunters can communicate with each other via
cell phones or two way radios. Making sure the hunters on both ends of the drive
have two way radios is a good idea so they can keep the group together and ensure
that nobody is getting ahead or falling behind the rest of the group. It is also
nice for the hunter at the end of the drive to have a two way radio so the drivers
can keep him informed of what is going on and if they have spotted or pushed any
bucks.
When driving deer, someone should be in charge of the drive. In most cases, it is
the person who has the most experience hunting the land where the drive is taking
place. That person will know what area to drive and where to place the hunter. They
will likely know where deer in the area bed, where they eat and where they travel
between the two. They will also be the person that sets the pace that everyone walks.
Like with any style of deer hunting, some areas are better than others. Many hunters
who regularly drive deer hunt fairly thick brush and timber where they know deer
regularly bed. Obviously, the smaller the piece of property is the easier it will
be to drive with a small number of hunters. Large sections of property can be hard
to drive because there is some property to cover. Most hunters who drive deer have
good bedding areas, funnels and feeding areas close by. Putting on a deer drive
through a natural funnel or bottleneck that is thick and near a major food source
is preferred by many hunters.
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It is extremely important that everyone who is driving deer wears plenty of Hunter
Orange. The shooter needs to know which direction he can shoot and be a good shot.
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Deer drives often occur during mid-morning or early afternoon when deer are most
likely bedded down for an extended period of time. Many hunters hunt during the
morning from a treestand and do a deer drive in the afternoon.
A new shot was developed in the last few years especially for waterfowl and turkey
hunters. It is even heavier and denser than steel or copper-plated lead and flies
better than steel, making it very popular among waterfowl hunters. The new materials
used to build this shot are even harder on choke tubes, so now there are choke tubes
designed especially for the new shot.
One of the biggest concerns with deer drives is safety. When there are several hunters
wandering through the woods towards another hunter, bad things can happen. To reduce
chances of a hunting accident, there are a few things that all deer drivers should
do. A large amount of orange should be worn by everyone on the hunting team so everyone
is visible. In most cases, wearing an orange coat and hat will make hunters stand
out in the woods. I have seen some hunters wear orange upland hunting pants as well.
Hunters can never wear enough orange when participating in a deer drive.
The hunter who plans to pull the trigger if a deer walks by needs to be very careful
if he takes a shot. One way to decrease the chance of an accident is to have the
hunter in a treestand, not on the ground. This allows him to see a long distance
in several directions. He will be able to see approaching hunters. The hunter should
never shoot in the direction of the people doing the driving. It is best to wait
until the deer is in an area the hunter knows is safe to shoot before taking a shot.
By communicating via 2-way radios throughout the afternoon, everyone will be aware
of where the other people are located.
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Bucks aren´t the only deer that get shot when doing an old fashioned deer
drive. Meat hunters often take their fair share of does.
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When executed properly, a deer drive can be one of the best methods of harvesting
multiple deer in a single day. If a group of hunters is driving an area they know
holds lots of deer and there are several hunters with guns, it is not uncommon for
many hunters to get a shot at a deer. Keep in mind that just because hunters are
pushing deer doesn´t mean they´ll have to take a running shot. Deer
will often run a little and look back or walk away from the hunters. Deer are used
to seeing people and don´t always bolt unless they are pushed hard. The best
way to ensure the deer hunt is successful is to wait for a clean shot when the deer
is moving slowly or standing still. Grunting or making noise just before taking
a shot is one way to get a deer to stop and take a look around.
Many hardcore hunters participate in deer drives towards the end of the deer season
after they have hunted the area from the ground or from treestands without success.
When the end of the season is drawing near and tags are still unfilled, many hunters
go to those areas that they have left alone all season and put on a deer drive.
Doing a drive early in the season and pushing deer out of an area will ruin the
area for the rest of the year which is why most hunters pay close attention to where
deer are bedding and traveling. When the fat lady is warming up and the iron curtain
is about to fall on the season, they do a deer drive where they know the deer live.
There aren´t any absolutes in hunting but if you know where deer call home
and you get a few friends together who can push through a section of woods without
allowing an escape, a deer drive can offer a high probability of succes
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Most hunters think of a deer drive as a gun hunting affair. Many bowhunters also
participate in deer drives.
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Sometimes the only way to tag big bucks like this one is to drive them out of their
beds.
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Big bucks are elusive and are often only spotted on trail cameras. If you repeatedly
get pictures of a big buck on camera but can´t get them to walk by your stand
maybe it is time to get a few friends and drive to the bucks´ favorite bedding
and feeding areas.
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