I couldn't agree more! I'm just glad they don't go on where I hunt, which is State Land and bowhunting only.

Let's see, get out and actually tromp the brush and have to take challenging shots at running animals. Yeah, what a bunch of slobs. I prefer the pure sport of sitting in a stand taking a 20 yard broadside shot at a still animal.

I couldn't have said it better!

12 gauge, 3 1/2", 00 buckshot. Cancel Christmas Mr. & Mrs. Whitetail.

There lies the problem.

In our deer drives we don't shoot at running deer. The people posted are far enough back from the area being pushed out that they aren't shooting at a deer running full steam. I know for a fact I'm not good enough shot to guarentee a humane kill in a deer running full speed. The last time I sat a drive I waited till the deer had gone past me and stopped before taking a shot at it. I consider myselfan accurate shot and the two deer I've harvested in my 2 years of hunting were both perfect heart shots, the one time I goose hunted the one goose that came in I dropped like a stone with a head shot from almost out of range. My personal ethics still prevent me from taking that unsure running shot though and risk wounding an animal that I won't be able to harvest. Before I get flack about being young because I stated I've only been hunting for 2 years I am not some 18 year old kid I started hunting at age 28 and will be turning 30 this october. There are also effective ways to stop a running deer with a quick shout that may give you that still broadside shot. Yea my buck I took last season waiting for it to walk within 15 feet of my stand was exciting but as far as skill was involved other then some startegy in my stand location and knowing how to sit quietly that was about it. If I didn't blow the bucks heart apart when it stood like a statue at 15 feet broadside to me with my 12 gauge, or at least have a good vital hit I should give up hunting. A shot at a bear in a cage as some of you like to joke was probably just as difficult and sporting as that shot I took from my tree stand.

i have for doe, i don't think its a way to go after big bucks. its not challanging at all

I would say that you are taking low percentage shots and have a greater chance of WOUNDING game.

I will edit my above statement by saying if you are proficient enough to cleanly kill a running deer. More power to you, BUT the average hunter does good to hit the 20 yard broadside deer when the adrenalin starts flowing. There in lies the problem.

The late part of gun season we do some drives and rarely do I see a deer running full steam. From my experience they don't generally do that unless pushed very hard or they are crossing fairly open ground. Most of the deer I see and all of the ones shot this past seasonhave been slipping out, they may run or bound a little but then they stop or slow to afast walkand scan ahead or listen then start moving again. Just like any other style of hunting, you set up where you anticipate getting a good/closeshot on the deer and take the best shot presented, sometimes there isn't any shot presented. I'm sure there are guys that don't do it that way, or shoot at anyting moving, and have questionable ethics / practices. But it definitely is not everyone that does deer drives.

As far as it is not being challenging for bucks or any deer for that matter, I guess you are right to a point but realistically it is no more or less challenging than killing deer from a stand or blind or most other methods, if you have some decent land to hunt and a reasonably healthy deer herd itshouldn't be a question ofif you are going to kill a deer, it should be more like when and how many and what kind, it ain't rocket science,with all of the advantages we as hunters have it isn't that challenging to begin with unless you strictly pursue big, mature bucks and I would say statistically speaking drives probably produce less trophy bucks than anyother method mentioned and based on that opinion I would say that makes it more challenging to kill a big buck with a drive(their too smart for the most part). That is just a guessbased onwhat I have seen and my experiences.

As far as wounding deer or taking shots that shouldn't be taken, doesn't that happen in every season with every weapon? Thathas more to do with the shooter than his chosen method/tactic of hunting. How many wounded deer threads will we see this upcoming season in the Bowhunting Forum?

I guess my point is that to generalize all "drive hunters"as slob hunting is a very poor stereotype. Ethical hunting is important no matter what techniques you use to get to the deer. You can have unethical huntersin any type of hunting method. Unethical hunting is a problem, I don't see driving and posting as one.