ATVs
 

I was wondering what yall thought about the ATVs scaring deer away. I have used a ATV for only 2 seasons now with no real issues yet. All the guys on my lease us them and we kill a few deer every year but nothing huge. I was talking to a "old timer" that said he didnt allow ATVs on his lease because they spooked the deer away and would ruin the hunting as soon as the season opened. What do yall think about this??? I useually park about 2 miles from my stand and walk in, but the other guys on my lease park at the steps. and everyone kills something atleast every other season. so is it realy an issue?

RE: ATVs
 

i was talking to my negihbor today and he was talking about how he had parked like 50 yards from his stand and he arrowed a doe halfway between his stand and the atv. i guess it all depends on the deer and what they're used to.

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like hunter said above. i think it depends on whether the deer are accustomed to hearing/ seeing atvs or not.

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Last year I had a couple does standing no more than 10 yards from my parked ATV.....another one wouldn't come across the cut line because she saw it and didn't like it. On a different trail I came across a doe as she crossed the path...she trotted about 30 feet off the trail,stopped, and then came directly back to me for another look.I think they are like other vehicles...the deer really don't know what they are unless you get off it....then they recognise you...

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yep I too believe it depends on what the deer are use too. everyone in my club thought I was crazy, I climbed up 20 yards off our main road. I watched everyone go by in the mornings and I saw a bunch of deer, I killed this one at 9:50 after two guys rode by at 9:00.

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I have personally killedseveral deer off my 4 wheeler and out of my Mule. I hunt a unique600 acre tract that has subdivisions on 3 sides and a creek bottom and railroad on the other side. My deer are used to human activity and don't pay much attention to ATVs (but when you step off, they are gone). I believe it depends on the place and the deer. If the only ATV activity the deer see is during hunting season, they are probably going to be very leary of them.But if youare on a place year around riding ATVs, then the deer willprobably never pay them any attention.

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I THINK THIS IS A GREAT QUESTION. I HAVE HAD MOST EVERY ATV MADE AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER FROM A HONDA TO AN ARGO AND I AM CONVINCED THEY DO SCARE BIG DEER AWAY. THE BIG BUCKS DO NOT GET BIG BY BEING STUPID AND I JUST HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT WHEN THEY HEAR THAT NOISE IN THE WOODS OR FILEDS THAT ASSOCIATE THAT TO HUNTERS AND "DEAD" MEAT ... I HAVE WATCHED FROM A BLIND AS DEER FED IN A FIELD AND THEN RUN OUT AS THEY HEARD AN ATV APPROCHING ... I NOW USE AN ELECTRIC GOLF CART WITH A 5HP LOW TORQUE MOTOR AND I HAVE DROVE UP ON DEER SEVERAL TIMES...AND IT WILL CLIMB MOST ANYTHING A ATV WILL.... OF COURSE THIS IS JUST MY HUMBLE OPINION ..

DOC

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We drive them around our place and the deer just stop and let us go by. We have shot/seen some nice 8 points on our place also and some times we park next to the blind. I think it depends on the deer, some deer are spookier than others and some think they are the biggest badest thing in the woods. I think the more activity there is on the property the spookier they will be, they will not stay if they get interupted all the time.

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I agree with most everyone above... It all depends on where you are hunting and how much "traffic" the area is used to having. I hunt spots that continually produce w/ my atv nearby... others I won't even bring it out...

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We use atv's exclusively to shuttle back and forth to our stands. Deer do not like them to say the least, but we still have a good harvest every year. I can certainly see where you would spook and never see the smartest of deer after riding through the area. I conciously keep the rpm's down to keep it as quite as possible, and park about 200 yds away from my stand in a clump of brush.

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SCENE #1. One year I was riding an ATV out to my "spider hole" and came over the rise of the field along an old fence row. There were three does standing there, looking at me. I had been riding as I usually do - little faster than walking pace. I had my shotgun in a zippered case on the front rack. The deer stood there as I unstrapped the case, pulled the gun, dropped a slug in, slowly stepped off and leveled on the biggest one. BOOM - one down. The other two jumped over the fence and weeds and stood on the other side, eventually running off like 20 seconds later. I had reloaded and was ready to shoot again but decisded to save a tag for a buck.

SCENE #2. We had a good number of hunters on the property this year. I had a new ladder stand ( I do mean LADDER stand here - 12' fiberglass A-frame converted into a tree stand) which had been sitting around my pipe fabrication shop for about a year and had been painted green/camo a week earlier, so you would think it reeked a bit. I was going to leave it behind the barn to season a year and "air out" but thought, what the heck, I'll put it out somewhere and it can air out in the woods for a year.

Well I let everyone have their pick of existing stands and when I looked at the spread of stands occupied, it was just obvious that in order to best cover the property, I would use the new ladder. I was last one out in the morning of opening shotgun season here in IL. I parked a new ATV in a weeded and treed fence row between two harvested crop fields, about 50 yards south of the woods which I had set the ladder back in about 50 yards.At first light I had a nice buck come east across the fields and crossed the fence row, right at the ATV without flinching. He proceeded to come straight up into the woods towards my position. He was moving quickly enough into the woods that I had to be quick. BOOM - down like a sack of concrete mix. He certainly did not seem to be even remotely concerned about any ATV or smells associated with the ATV or freshly painted stand.

It kind of helped me think differently. It's weird that he wasn't showing any sign of being disturbed by these paint and ATV smells, but in other cases you know you're BUSTED in the stand by your smell cause they don't look AT you just bolt away from you.

I don't know if color of ATV's is an issue here, but the buck who came in walked past my full camo ATV. I know I can see the red, blue, yellow, white and even black and green ATV's in the fields pretty well. But can't spot the camo ones nearly as easily. What about the deer?

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I use an ATV as I work on my property but starting in September I stop. My neighbors only use them during the deer season and to me that is giving the deer a great big clue that the hunting season has started. I only use it to retrieve my last deer of the season.

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i look at it this way. you can ride to your stand and leave no scent trail or walk in and leave the smell of a human everywhere. deer are more afraid of the human scent that the atv. around here deer hear and see atv's everyday.

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I've never had any trouble spooking deer from an ATV --- unless I tried to run over them with it ... lol

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I think it dose not so much if you park two miles away and then walk in but if you park at your steps I think you are pushing you LUCK

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Once watched two does creep through the woods for two hundred yards just to investigate my parked atv. I was bowhunting a small cut block and had hidden the atv on the other end of the field. That day I regreted not parking it at the base of my tree!

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Are you suggesting that these two does wanted to check out your taste in ATV's??

I have heard this arguement alot on the net. It's funny how most of those that say they do bother deer seem to have bad years. When asked how they did they respond no deer . hummmmmmmmmmm

Deer live with the sound and presence of cars, trucks,18 wheelers, loggers and yep ATV type vehicles . They have become accustom to the presence and smell of them. They don't run miles from them cause they CAN"T run miles to get away from them they are EVERYWHERE!

Now if a person wants to park TWO MILES away from thier stand so be it. They will be walking that two miles out when i am either still on stand getting all of the last light or i am cooking my dinner at my camp.

I am really surprised though some of the anti atv idiots haven't posted to show thier stupidity. They may lurking though.

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i dont walk in all the time. useually the opening weekend of the season. Also walkin out in the mornings lets me get that much more hunting in. the trail to my stand has many draws and openings where you can see deer everyonce in a while. I wasnt thinking it would be that big of a deal but like some of you are sayin most of the guys around my lease ONLY ride during hunting season.

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Oh shonuff i don't always ride to my stands . i enjoy the walk some times . I ride on my areas year round. i have to if i am going to check the majority of the spreads out. I have 2100 acres in the southern part of arkansas and just got 600 in central arkansas. the 600 is absolutely awesome and i am still learning my way around. the deer seem to be very content with my atv's .

Now turkey season i don't ride it is really hard to hunt turkey from an atv . can't hear them gobble over a engine. but i hunt the whole deer season (i always make sure i have tags . i will let a good one walk just so i do) cause i love being out that time of year (well i love it anytime even now in this extreme heat).

Just enjoy being in the woods either on foot or wheeler.;):D

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I was as surprised as you are! I was hunting a new area and logistically needed the atv. I parked it in a secluded spot away from my stand (but I could just barely see it in the distance). The does came out and began to feed (out of my bow range). Then they seemed alerted by something and snuck back into the woods. Low and behold they appeared again not 10 feet downwind from my atv (which happened to be upwind of their original location - stupid move I admit[:@]).

I've seen these deer act odd in other circumstances as well. They get a lot of atv in that area and very few hunters.
Generally I avoid using atv's when I'm hunting.

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jono my favorite stand is in the middle of a 40 acre field . i have a 10' tower penthouse stand that is in the wide open no trees around it. I just drive right up to it and climb up. i have two food plots about an acre and a half each to the north and south of the stand and almost always deer just stand and watch me climb up.
I have had them walk right up to my four wheeler parked below and smell it and just walk on. they even sometimes look up at me .
I love this stand cause it's great watching the sun come up and go down in. i just sit up there and drink my coffee and partake in my bad habit of smoking. I guess they know i love watching them and only want to good ones.
I have killed many good bucks from that stand and so has my son and my 15 yo cousin.
Deer are much more unpredictable than some think. many times i have heard people blame atv's for keeping bucks away when the truth is they are just hounding a doe that is not in thier area.
Plus i think the season just makes bucks nocturnal naturally.
But a hot doe will make even the most nocturnal buck move under any circumstance.
Now i am not saying they will not annoy deer but i have seen deer get spooked by armidillos,hogs,turkeys and tree rats!
Can't park them miles away!:D

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I agree that it depends on what the deer are used to. I have pretty regular ATV use on my property. However, we stop riding at the end of August unless we have to go for a particular reason. Most of the time, during the summer, the deer will watch us ride by, and then go about their business, unless we get too close. I hunt another area of about 800 acres, and we use a golf cart to get to the stands. Generally, who ever is in the farthest stand from the house drops off the person riding with them, and takes the golf cart to the stand. I parked the golf cart right out side of my stand (within 3ft) on a regular basis. The deer don't even pay it any attention. The will walk within 15 ft of the cart and just keep right on walking and never check up. I killed a 215# 9pt last year with the golf cart parked between me and the deer. He just ignored it.

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It all depends on if you normally ride your atv around your property. I hunt on a farm where tractors and trucks drive through the fields and side roads on a daily basis, so the deer really arent too spooked when you drive by unless you stop and stare at them for awhile, then they hightail for the cover of the woods.

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Due to a disability and can't walk,I hunt from a ATV! Deer don't seem to care,I even bow hunt from mine. Turkeys are a little different,in the spring I get to my spot at least 1 hour before daylight,I have killed turkeys from my ATV but if I'm "busted",it's time to go home...

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My one friends dad cant walk so good;so he gets to his tree stand by ATV and he gets his limit every year. So I also think it depends if the deer are use to the noise and arent afraid of the vehicle.