4wheelers and deer

[CopperHead77]

Those that drive them most or all the way in to your spot, what's been your experiences with still seeing/ killing deer on a regular basis and how far do you park from where you're sitting?
I've never been a fan of driving them close to a spot but with feet that hurt with a lot of walking or any other ailment sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. Just curious what others experiences have been.

 

[gatodoc]

I think the presence of a 4-wheeler parked doesn't bother deer much. I do think they associate the noise of running machines in the woods puts them more on guard but parked machines don't seem to bothe them. I've heard it's a good idea to cover the light lenses that they scare deer but I can't confirm that.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

It all depends on where you hunt and if the atv experiences they've encountered in the area have been positive or negative. Our deer will exit a field at the sound of one a couple hundred yards away. I have also been on properties where the deer didn't mind them much at all due to all the farming practices.

I have an electric golf cart and have driven within 20 yards of deer during the dark of night and it doesn't bother them. As soon as I get off and they hear my footsteps, they are GONE. This has happened several times where deer happen to be where I'm parking an hour or so before light.

 

[megalomaniac]

All depends....

If you are regularly in the area on a 4 wheeler riding around throughout the year,, the sound of one wont bother the deer. If you are only on the property on a 4 wheeler when hunting, the sound of one will alert deer and they will seek cover.

A parked 4 wheeler will alert but not spook deer.

 

[MUP]

I rarely get the 4 wheeler out of the garage anymore, but when I used to I'd take it and park it within a couple hundred yards of where I planned to climb a stand at, and have had many deer come by my stand, looking back in the direction of the 4 wheeler.

 

[Lincoln Co Archer]

In my past experience on our property the deer, in general, don't mind the 4wheeler.

Now after saying that, good luck trying to kill a mature buck and driving the 4wheeler in close. Outside of the peak chasing phase, I believe the 4wheeler drastically reduces your chances of seeing a mature buck

 

[Hymie3]

I have watched deer on my lease hear an atv from over a mile away and run to heavy cover. I know there are reasons for older guys and folks with disabilities to use them but I will personally never use one to get to where I hunt

 

[Southern Sportsman]

I know people who do it and they insist it isn't a problem because they still see plenty of deer. But there is no way to know how many deer they don't see because of it. I'd rather walk farther and not wonder if the 4-wheeler spooked anything b

For someone who is older or has physical limitations, by all means do what is needed to hunt. But if you're able bodied and just don't want to walk very far, it seems silly. And I'm not saying 4-wheelers shouldn't be used, but why not park 1/2-1 mile or so before getting to the stand then walk in quietly?

 

[backyardtndeer]

I walk to my stands. We do use the 4 wheeler here often when stuck in the stand in the afternoon. Also do drop offs for my wife at a few stands in the mornings that don't clue deer she can't see in the dark in to her climbing up the ladder.

Last year had a buck(2.5 year old 8) bedded in our beans about 45 yards in front of me. He was on the edge of a trail waiting for does and had no intentions of getting up. Wife rode the 4 wheeler past me in the stand on up to the deer, he did not get up until she was within 10 yards of him. Even then he did not run off, she followed him

Does usually pay attention here once the sound of the 4 wheeler gets close enough. They don't usually spook too bad.

Only time I ever rode to a stand, parked within 75 yards. Expected deer to run a trail in front of me but instead they came in behind me. Does got within feet of the bike, stayed for maybe 30 second, and blew at it before taking off.

 

[Ski]

I've tried it and it sure makes climbing the mountain easier, but I don't see the deer I see when I hike in. Deer I see when I'm using the ATV are always on alert and always younger deer. The spot I tried using an ATV is open hardwoods, mountains, and the sound echoes through the hollows. Deer aren't used to hearing them up there. In ag land or somewhere deer are used to the sound, it probably would be as alarming.

 

[Remington700]

In my experience on the property I hunt 4 wheelers are negative. If you drive one in you will not see a deer. If you walk in they are everywhere. I agree with others that is depends on what the norm is. We never step foot on the property unless it is deer season. So they would never see a 4 wheeler and have reason to be scared.

 

[megalomaniac]

There is a reason Grant Woods uses his side by sides to drop hunters off and pick hunters up from stands...

If you use 4 wheelers regularly on your property the whole year, you will spook WAY more deer walking to the stand and walking back from the stand after the hunt

 

[catman529]

I know people who do it and they insist it isn't a problem because they still see plenty of deer. But there is no way to know how many deer they don't see because of it. I'd rather walk farther and not wonder if the 4-wheeler spooked anything b

For someone who is older or has physical limitations, by all means do what is needed to hunt. But if you're able bodied and just don't want to walk very far, it seems silly. And I'm not saying 4-wheelers shouldn't be used, but why not park 1/2-1 mile or so before getting to the stand then walk in quietly?

Gotta also wonder how many deer I didn't see because I stepped on a stick, crunched leaves, or deer were bedded downwind where I didn't expect. If someone is riding a 4wheeler and seeing plenty of deer, I'd say they're not hurting anything. Mature buck would be the first to avoid it I think, just like they usually avoid everyone walking into the woods as well.

 

[catman529]

There is a reason Grant Woods uses his side by sides to drop hunters off and pick hunters up from stands...

If you use 4 wheelers regularly on your property the whole year, you will spook WAY more deer walking to the stand and walking back from the stand after the hunt

That's always been my thoughts as well, if riding the property is a normal thing year round, deer won't care. My neighbor has been close to big bucks plenty of times riding around the property because he rides around a lot working on the farm.

 

[Grill-n-man]

Used a 4 wheeler or now use a Polaris Ranger for getting to and from hunting spots on the mountains around here since 96. They cover ground faster and easier than a truck with the same noise and smell. Ive parked them from a mile away to up to less than 100 yds from where hunting especially if my wife and/or kid is hunting with me. Ideally i try to park it in a way that if a deer spooks and changes direction it will more than likely come by one of us. In all these years, deer hear motor vehicles close and far off almost daily and a few deeper spots where they seldom hear any vehicles. What I can tell you for a fact is that in the 33+ years I've been deer hunting ive come back to the vehicle more than one can count with tracks in my tire tracks feet from where im parked, have had deer stand perfectly still as i pass them in a motor vehicle, run from the vehicle, spooked countless more wondering around in the dark with a flashlight on the way to stand than in a vehicle, and have hit 7 of the dang things in a truck and had 2 more hit me. So does a vehicle spook deer? Truth is no one can honestly say for sure as your talking about an animal that spends 24/7 trying not to end up as supper. Best advice i can give you is try to keep any disturbance at a minimal.

 

[Deer Assassin]

i have had deer sniff 4 wheeler

i had a place that was all fields park it next to my tree killed several deer

 

[41Magnum]

I carry a camo cover, it has a leafy appearance, over mine. haven't had any issues that I know of.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

There is a reason Grant Woods uses his side by sides to drop hunters off and pick hunters up from stands...

If you use 4 wheelers regularly on your property the whole year, you will spook WAY more deer walking to the stand and walking back from the stand after the hunt

Agreed. I follow and do just about everything Grant Woods puts out. We tried doing this, but the problem for us was, we simply weren't there often enough to get the deer accustomed to ATV's/UTV's. So, we had to put an end to that due to the negative effects we were seeing. We came to the realization that Grant LIVES on his property and WORKS on his property every day. In contrast, were worked on our property on average every 2-3 weeks just on the weekends.

At the end of the day, do what the deer are accustomed to. If they aren't accustomed to anything , do what you can get away with.

 

[Grnwing]

My ranger will run off the deer pretty good but my tractor doesn't seem to bother them at all.

 

[megalomaniac]

I shot 2 mature bucks hunting out of the bed of my truck with the rifle on top last year. My oldest buck I killed (8.5 y/o) doing the same thing out of the bed of my truck. My largest buck (184in) I shot in front of me as my friend was pulling up on the 4 wheeler to pick me up from my stand.

but in areas where deer are not used to hearing 4 wheelers running, they will spook the heck out of them. I've been on some stands here in MS watching deer, heard a 4 wheeler in the distance, and the deer came to full alert and snuck to cover.