I've been thinking about this a lot recently. I've been working up food plots the past week, last night half way through the never ending tilling of the field,I sawsome deer. They look at me, and I them. I'm sweating from head to toe, smelling to the high heavens, driving a noisy tractor, and singing to myself (for inquiring minds, it was "she thinks my tractors sexy"). They go on living their lives, feeding and slowly moving towards a bean field. They did not seem to mind anything. They were 80-100 yards to the east with the wind from the west. They heard me, saw me, and smelled me..obvously.
Is it just the time of year? Is it that they are educated to the working of fields and tractors? Could I use this to my advantag?. Some of my stands are quite a ways in, but I could get to them with the tractor, would this be a stupid idea? Better yet, have someonedrop me off with the tractor!I may try and let you all know. Just thinking out loud? Any comments?
I don't think the tractor idea would be much fun. You could park the tractor in the field and use it as a blind maybe. But yea i think the deer have seen a guy on a tractor before and they don't find you a threat at the moment. Wait till hunting season and they won't even be in the field if that tractor is running.
They aren't threatened by me on my tractor anytime. If I get off of it, then the white flags start flying everywhere. I know some people who will take hunters out on tractors all the time.
__________________ Retired US Air Force MSgt Mathews Reezen 7.0 Easton Storm 400 Hindsight Eclipse TruBall Release
I've seen the same thing at our place in georgia even during hunting season deer that are already out in the peanut fields will just stand and watch us or the guy that farms the place if we are driving a tractor, but if you ride by on a 4 wheeler or walk by all you'll see is white flags leaving. I have actually used the driving the tractor trick to the stand if I am hunting the edges of some of the crop fields with some success, it still seems to scare them off in the evenings when you crank it up to leave though. I believe if you could get someone to drop you off and pick you up with the tractor it would be a great tactic.
My guide up north drops his hunters (never on foot)off with a quad. The deersee/hear it go in and they see/hear it come out. They have no idea someone's been dropped off! Beautiful thing.
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My guide up north drops his hunters (never on foot)off with a quad. The deersee/hear it go in and they see/hear it come out. They have no idea someone's been dropped off! Beautiful thing.
I KNOW this tactic works for bear hunting, but I attributed that to the Bait, and knowing it is time for a free meal. Good to know some have had success with deer hunting this way as well.
I'll also add that when I hunt in Montana we ALWAYS get dropped off by a diesel truck. The rancher drives to his fields every day, so it's like nothing to the deer. I'd like to try it in MN.
Just last week I was plowing a field andas the light started getting low a doe and her fawn came out into the field I was plowing, sifting through the weeds I disked up. They didnt seem to mind me that much at all.
They were right around 100 yards from the tractor.
Oh, and I was in a Case 9380. (Not a small tractor.)
Educating Deer, Always bad?
