What about drive-hunts?

[siotwo]

With all the discussion about hunting feeders.....what do you think about drive hunts?

I've heard about driving whitetails 'back east' and just the other day, I saw a Moose hunt on TV where they had a single horseback rider pushing a bull and a couple cows out of cover and into an area where the stationary hunter was were able to make a shot.

Ron

[Twycross]

I participated in one drive hunt last year with some friends, as a driver. T'was rather boring.

As far a the ethical side, I really don't see it as being any different from the methods used by natural predators (wolves, etc.).

[Bravo25]

As far a the ethical side, I really don't see it as being any different from the methods used by natural predators (wolves, etc.).

Except that natural prediators don't sit a few hundred yards away with a high powered weapon, and massive optics. They call this gathering. Not hunting. That is why I don't like feeders either.

Of course the flip side of this is if you are going to be totally ethical, take the animal on his turf, on equal ground.

I have no real qualms about weapons (per se) to equal the athletic abilty, size, and strength of the game, but I think I'll teach my kids to track, read sign, and hunt. Then you have earned it, and can take pride in it.

JMHO

[mete]

A drive is not a sure thing especially in woods like we have in NY. You need a group to do it ,perhaps 10 people.There is also a safety factor ,I know one hunter who was shot on a drive. Good groups have strict rules for this.

[VirgilCaine]

A yearly deer drive is a huge tradition here in northern Michigan. Every year, usually Thanksgiving weekend, the whole town organizes a drive. Last year we had approx 50 hunters meet at my VFW post, eat a pancake breakfast put on by the ladies auxilary, pass out maps, select drivers and shooters, load up in to trucks, and head out. A massive field lunch is brought out, last year a local snowmobile club sponsored it, and we all eat again, and drive another area.

In the evening, after the drive and the deer are in coolers, we go "visiting". You drive around from house to house, neighbor to neighbor, and there's always something good on the stove, bon fires in yards, lies being told, bottles passed, guitars being picked.

Last year we killed 8 deer. The meat is donated to the VFW and we put on a wild game dinner for the community.

The "drive" as its called, is a big deal to the old timers up here. The stories you hear are halarious. This year will be my 4th drive and I'm really looking forward to it.

[Art Eatman]

There are some places where a drive is about the only way to hunt. By drive I'm meaning that several guys start at the bottom of a long draw or small valley and work upwind and uphill. The guys in the bottom probably don't even need to have a rifle. The most likely shot will be for the higher-up fella on the more upwind side of the valley.

This is almost a necessity in my area of southwest Texas. Mule deer are lazy and don't move around much during daylight. And, "Old Biggie" has so much fat on him that any temperature above freezing is practically hot weather to him. Like wearing a parka, insofar as insulation. Ya gotta kick him out of bed if you want a shot. A lot of the whitetail in the country west of San Antonio and on toward the Pecos River behave like mulies...

The fun of a drive is when you have newbies along. A little buck jumps and you go to hollering, "Shoot him! Shoot him!" and he does, and it's a little four-point and you then ask, "Hey, why'd you shoot that little ol' nothin' buck?" :D

Art

[siotwo]

Great stories! and they echo what I've heard in the past, from people that participate.

[Northslope Nimrod]

Traditionally, my group has "driven" many deer. In Utah, we used to hunt rolling canyons. About 20 of us on horses would simply ride up and down the canyons one after another and shoot the deer as the ran up the other side. Worked great...but few people have 20+ hunters in their party....with horses.
Now we hunt thick wooded areas. We hunt on foot for deer and elk. Sometimes, there is a rock slide or open area to push to but generally (especially elk) they don't run out in the open. We simply hope to "pin ball" the animals back and forth. As they try to run around the hunter that jumps them...they "hopefully" run right into a hunter to the left or right.
Works great. We usually have 6 to 7 walkers on an elk drive.

[john in jax]

Here in NE FL there is a lot of hunting pressure and the deer often go nocturnal early in the General gun season. Between that and a fickle rut (because it can be 80 degrees here through January) a drive is sometimes the only way to get 'em up and moving.