dirtydevon

My land borders some state land and the guys over there are constantly driving the hell out of it, and by the time the deer get to my property the bucks are already shot and all i see is spooked does. Should i set up on the state land?

iayotehunter

I would just sit back and let the deer come to you.

rockport

That should be a great scenario for you.

Bugflipper

Shoot does?

Night Crawler

How much land do you have?

I would put out signs for deer saying pressure relief area. Hook them up with a meal and a few drinks.

Valentine

sure do love borders. Either the deer are just coming, or they're going to some sanctuary.

Wingbone

Make sure your land is that sanctuary. Not all the bucks get shot. If you have does, sooner or later the un-shot bucks will show up.

Peppe

create a sanctuary on your land. even a small sanctuary would be ok. Make sure you dont walk through it and allow the deer for them to feel safe in there. When they are driven out of the other property they will head straight for that sanctuary. Set up between the state land and the sanctuary and you should see them heading into there for cover. Put a sanctuary on the land i hunt on and it works amazing. My stand is about 100 yards from the sanctuary and i see all the deer using it. It amazing to see that when they feel a little spooked, they head straight for that no hesitation. just remember make sure you dont go in there. Let that be their home. just get a small area do some hinge cutting, plant some pines, put a small food plot in there. It will work very quickly.

VA5326

Don't lose faith, this is a good thing for you. Brother, get in early and out late. Generally, on a deer drive, Bigger/Wiser bucks will do one of three things and sometimes a combination of them all if pushed hard enough: 1. A big buck has the balls to sit tight unless you step on them 2. Circle back towards the drivers and sneak out in between the drivers and get behind the drivers and find an escape 3. Put their nose into the wind and make a gangbusters run for it.

Typically, bigger bucks will let the does be the "sacrificial lambs" so to speak. Big Bucks who have made it a couple of seasons know exactly what the heck is going on when it comes to deer drives. A lot of the times, a buck will let the does run and listen for the drivers and gun fire (or no gun fire) and then decide on which direction to go. If you're lucky and there's no gun fire, he could possibly follow the same route (as the does) being anywhere from seconds to 10 minutes behind the does. I've seen a few bucks do this in the woods before. Another possibility are land features which produce excellent escape routes. Like many things, big bucks will use them season after season. Ever seen an old wooden tree stand out in the woods? Some guy put that there years ago for a reason. Either the area held deer or that's where deer escape to when pushed for years in a row. For the most part, unless the terrain has changed, if i find an old stand in the middle of the woods, I normally will hang mine close by. Think about it, a guy back in the day just didn't lug all the lumber and hardware out in the woods for no reason.

If I could recommend some things to you I would start by putting up some "experimental stands" in areas in which you think would make a good escape route for a buck. Sit in a different one each time they make a drive(I can't emphasize enough about getting in earlier than the drivers). Also, if they start the drive near a road in which drivers typically do, a buck can and will get out between the drivers and escape behind the drivers and most of the time cross the road. Don' be afraid to hunt near a road as within the law permits. Hope this helps.

dirtydevon

thanks, great ideas