A deer drive is just another tool used to hunt deer. There are areas where the deer won't move at all during shooting hours. The only way to move them is to do a drive. A deer drive does not mean you have to shoot everything that comes out. Its nothing more than a way to get the deer moving that otherwise would hold up until dark. There are types of terrain where only a drive will work. Its a tool. Use it when the conditions demand it. Anything that is legal in your area is fair chase hunting.

Many years ago used to go on well organized drives(10-15 hunters)put together by local farm owners and their familys. Many of us never saw one another during the year until we all met 1st 2 days of gunning season at one particular guys farm.

All were experianced deer hunters. Drivers used 00 or 000 buck,standers used slugs. All hunters shared in harvest and butcher duties or you got no venison. Our drivers were very verbal so other drivers/standers always knew where everyone was at. Alot of work but fun if put together correctly with the right hunters. I sorta miss it. Its a good way for farmers with heavy deer density to reduce herd quickly neatly and cost free.

TXhighrack- how is shooting deer on drives not fair to the deer? they can get away at any time they want. and dangerous? more people are injured or killed FALLING FROM A TREESTAND than are on drives. high fence hunting is a whole nother topic. theres a difference in the deer having a chance to escape rather than being fenced in like a damn farm animal.

Teejay- again, how is it dangerous? like i said, more people in wisconsin are killed or injured falling out of a tree than are on drives. in fact, its a rare day when i hear of people getting shot on drives.

onebullet- that isn't a problem with driving, thats a problem with hunters. shooting a deer more than twice is generally excessive, but it does have its exceptions. 3 or 5 slugs that are scattered about the body do alot of damage. thats just a hunter problem. guy who doesnt have much upstairs.

drives work when its warm and the deer aren't moving at all. it was 74 degrees at the end of october when i was rifle hunting for a doe by myself. had it not been a weekday, i probably would have gotten my dad to do a drive for me. when its in the 50's and 60's during gun sesaon here, we do drives. we usually sit the whole first day and then do drives the rest of the season because the deer dont tend to move a whole lot during daylight hours during the regular 9 day season. drives are just like still hunting and stand hunting, another method you can use to better your success.

slayer

Deer Drives are unfair to the deer. I'd love to hear that one.

We all hunt with super duper buck & doe urine scents,scent lock clothing,grunts,bleats,full size decoys,over bait,over corn,bean fields,food plots,salt blocks,deer cocaine - and - last but not least watch our hunting hero's on cable TV hunt Low & High Fence Ranches with expert guides who live breath eat and smell like deer and you say a Deer Drive Ain't Fair to the Deer - Come on - Give me a break. If your a Slob hunter than it probably ain't fair to the Deer.

deerslayer-said
onebullet- that isn't a problem with driving, thats a problem with hunters. shooting a deer more than twice is generally excessive, but it does have its exceptions. 3 or 5 slugs that are scattered about the body do alot of damage. thats just a hunter problem. guy who doesnt have much upstairs.



slayer
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too many hunters not enough wooded area-- as i said thats why i hunt elsewhere upstate, agreed =mentality not reaching all floors but reaching epedemic level

JMO. . .but I don't like the idea of driving deer with poeple or using dogs to hunt. Heck just set one end of the woods on fire and run them into pens. . . you would get lots and could call it hunitng. . .I suppose??

James has a very good response. I have hunted deer for 40 years now in many different ways. We drive deer later in the season on a group of families priavte land. For those that think that deer driving makes it too easy....well....then maybe they need to come here to Wisc and try it LOL. It is another ethical tool that is used to hunt deer.
I bow hunt alot more than rifle hunt and as mentioned earlier.... the new scents, lures and scent free clothing are tools that are used and no more unethical than driving deer. I won't even get into the "baiting" debate again LOL. There are methods that are frowned upon by many. I have had shotgun hunters call me unethical for hunting with a rifle...and long bow hunters condem those who use compunds. To each.....our own.

IMO deer drives are a excuse for hunter to not work for their deer .
Get off your *** and be a real hunter , find a good spot and match witts .
To many drives end up with gut shot and lost deer that did not fall right away so the "hunter" dosn't look for it.
Also to often the drives cross land that no one on the drive has permission to hunt

Are you saying that sitting in a stand is working for your deer?

johnch... you think it's easy to drive deer? It's not working for your deer? After a day of driving I'm usually beat! Dead tired! As far as gut shots and driving other people's property it sounds like you hunt with some real winners! The people I hunt with don't shoot without aiming and they stay on thier own property! Try matching witts and organize a drive. I bet the deer wins more then you. It's not as easy as you think. It is a fun way to get everyone involved in the hunt! I miss the big drives we used to do. We do small 2 or 3 man drives now.