Oldtimr

Where I hunt we put on drives all the time and I have shot a lot of deer from them. Every deer I have taken from a drive has either been standing still looking behind it or simply walking away from the drive. A good drive is not a loud fast operation, it is actually a walk in the woods moving deer in the direction you want them to go towards hunters who are waiting for them. You don't need big groups of people either to have effective drives, we often do it with two or three people towards one or two hunters. We know how the deer move on the property when they are disturbed and where they hole up on the property on the property around ours after the shooting starts. We usually don't try to move deer until late afternoon, those who have shot a deer will move deer towards those who have not. We only have 5 people on the property hunting, 6 if my grandson hunts with me. I do not want to be involved in the large raucous, loud large groups of hunters hooping and hollering running deer at mock speed through the trees and people emptying their rifles as they shoot and hope between the trees.

woodenb14

I appreciate the feedback. Our group is 10-12 guys, and we typically have 3-4 guys push and the rest block, depending on where we are hunting. I'm from a part of Illinois that isn't flat and we use the rolling terrain to our advantage when placing blockers. More times then not, the blockers are on the other side of a hill next to the timber/draw we are pushing and the backstop to any shot would be the side of the hill. I estimate 75% of our shots taken are at deer on the move that aren't necessarily a "perfect shot." None of us are what I would consider expert marksmen. I've never considered, and still don't consider, our style of hunting wrong or unethical. I just find it interesting that some people won't accept other people's style because it isn't what they are used to.

Oldtimr

It becomes unethical if you are wounding running deer.

rockport

Its not for me. Ive done it but don't care for it, I like the long game.

I don't do it at all now because I have to manage bucks and you often just don't have time to identify bucks on drives.

I do setup to take advantage of other peoples mistakes sometimes which is really kind of the same concept I reckon.

woodenb14

"It becomes unethical if you are wounding running deer. "

Oh come on. Ends justify the means?? If we do what we always do, and don't wound a deer, it's ethical? But if we do what we always do, and wound a running deer, it's unethical?? Not buying that. That's no different than saying if you take head shots and kill 100% of the time, it's ethical. But if you take a head shot, and blow the jaw off, it's unethical. For the record, if I have a standing deer 20 yards away, I shoot at the vitals. But at the same time, I'm not opposed to a head shot either

rogerstv

"It becomes unethical if you are wounding running deer. "


My thought exactly!

Topgun 3006

You answered your last comment with your first sentence Jake! Guys don't go all the way out west to make deer drives, as it's just not done that way out there most of the time. Some guys will hunt canyon areas with heavy cover like that with one or two guys posted way ahead, but not very often.

Oldtimr

Woodben, I stand by what I said. I have see way too much of the big drives running deer through the trees where hunters only get a small piece of the deer to shoot at as they run by. There are as many deer wounded as are killed, gut shot deer ham shot deer etc and the shooters don't even know they hit them. There are ways to move deer without moving them at mock speed where shoot them is a hail Mary. In my book of right and wrong, what I described is unethical. These are your words," I estimate 75% of our shots taken are at deer on the move that aren't necessarily a "perfect shot." None of us are what I would consider expert marksmen". Pretty hard not to say that kind of hunting is not using deer for target practice.

Topgun 3006

I was going to comment on your reply about "ethical/unethical" regarding the correct statements that I believe Oldtimr made in his posts, but after reading your final comment about not being opposed to taking a head shot it wouldn't be worth my time!!! Oldtimr especially hit the nail on the head about what you are doing with his last post quoting your comments that certainly don't show much respect for the animals we hunt!

rockport

I think the point would probably be taken if worded better.

Things don't become unethical when you start wounding deer. About Every life long hard hunter has wounded deer.

To ethically drive deer you have to be willing to let them run by if its not right.

It becomes unethical when you start taking unethical shots whether you are driving deer or not.

I would agree with wooden the same actions don't become ethical/unethical based on the results but I also don't think that is what oldtmer probably meant.