WantBuck

Last year was my first real hunting season and this yearis looking even better for me.I've gotten more land to hunt on so I went and bought a 4-wheeler.This may be a dumb question to you guys but how far away from my stand do I need to park the 4-wheeler and walk?I don't want to park too close and scare the deer away.
Thanks,
JE

supaarcher

Thats a good question.. I always hunt up in Northeren WI in the big woods. I take some logging roads to my stand. I usually park about 300-400 yards away. An ATV bothers the deer less than a walking person, so in a way it would almost be better to drive nice and close. The only question is, how much does a parked ATV bother the deer?

Dampland

I have found that deer are more likely to let me drive by them, then run. I truly feel that walking scares them more.

The only thing I have found, is that the sight of the ATV can scare them, when it is just sitting there parked. So I would recommend a camo cover for it.

I think 100 yards is fine, unless the wind will be blowing directly from your ATV to the stand, then I would make it 200 yards.

RedAllison

You guys must be in areas with very little ATV usage. Down here in the south every Bubba, his kids, wife and probably even his grandmother has 4wheeler and they ALL ride them. I hunt on a strictly controlled 2500 acre private parcel of land in west TN and even though there is only 5-6 of us that hunt it, we have tested time after time with ATVs and the deer just go ballistic when they hear them. More than once we have communicated by radio with one another and while one of us is in the stand with many deer around, another would crank up and ride by. Almost too the man, any bucks over 3 years old would ease into the woods as soon as they heard them, they wouldn't even wait to see the ATV. Many of the oldest does would get very panicky and may or may not run away immediately. They ALL would run as soon as they caught a glimpse of one, saw other deer running further away or saw headlights.

All that and we have NEVER shot a deer anywhere near one of our ATVs much less from one. That tells me that they equate the loud things with danger. And on two sides of our property is state land that is very limited too usage (used to be draw, now it is a very limited lease operation) and they STRICTLY enforce ATV usage too roads only. Before lastyear they couldn't even use the things at all. So I am in an area that consists of many square miles that sees little if no ATV usage yet the deer STILL hate them.

I am getting an electric cart this year. My brother has had one for a couple of years now and you can literally ride up on the deer before they even think about running. Typically if you stop they run, if you don't stop they will just watch you go by. The things are silent. I will keep my ATV for hauling deer in and out of the woods. As for hiding them, if they are dark colored and you park them in tall grass, brush or behind a tree or two the deer won't even see them unless they are within bowrange of them. As for smell, I can't help but think that they smell like anyother piece of farm equipment or truck so I doubt the deer would put 2 and 2 together on that point.

Heck I even have an uncle in MS that has poor health and he rarely hunts over 100yds away from his Big Bear. Most of the time he actually carries a dovestool, parks the 4wheeler in grass or along the field edge and uses the blasted thing for a blind to hide behind and brace for shots upon. As long as something aint moving deer very rarely are going to see it. BUT that same uncle smokes while hunting and rarely kills any mature animals. I can hear most 4 wheelers over 1/2 mile away (much further if they are going away from me or moving fast) I don't know how far a 5 year old buck can hear one. But you can rest assured that if he is within 1 mile of your ATV when you ride in, he probably knows where you are that day. So I say leave em alone, walk, drive your pickup (they are essentially silent unless than 100yds away) or look into the electric hunting buggies that are popping up everywhere now.

Check out the Bad Boy carts now THEY are the ticket for the hunter needing true offroad transportation in complete silence!
RA

HuntinGUS

I parked my 4 wheeler last year about 100-150 yards away from my stand and away from where the deer travel. When the deer traveled the way they were "supposed to" I had no problems, however I rarely had deer come from the direction of my ATV. I even heard a few blow and snort in that direction. Not sure if it was the ATV or not.

Just in case I am parking farther away this year........

splint2004

There are quite a few atvs out here, so the deer are used to them. Ive had deer 15 feet away from my atv when i was ridin it. when i am in my stand i have had deer come within a foot of my atv. which was right beside the tree my stand was in.they werent scared of it at all

maytom

Two years ago my cousinrode his ATVcloser to his stand, while I walked to the stand I was going to hunt. No sooner whenhe left, I started walking towards the ladder stand I wanted to hunt. I just cut into a section of pines that led to that stand when I seen a buck rubbing his rack on a sapling!!! My cousin just drove by minutes ago, and here was this nice buck, still un-concerned, rubbing that tree!! I wish I could say that I got him, but he spotted me about the time I spotted him and it was off to the races!! So deer and other game aren't really as spooked as you would think. Unless your riding right towards them!!

Hunter06FlKy

my neighbor says that he sometimes parks his right under his stand and he kills deer still when he does that. i personally don't use atvs unless i hunt with certain people.

manuman

Mine will be parked very far away from my stand this year. So far that I don't even know where! I t was stolen this past june from my club in Alabama![:@]

ShadowAce

Had 2 deer watch me go past yesterday afternoon. They watched until I went past and then went back to eating. Park and walk the last couple hundred yards. The noise may scare some older deer if it comes there way.