As time winds down for deer season, there’s one tactic that can still be used to fill your remaining deer permits.
Done correctly, a deer drive is a good way to put venison in the freezer when other methods aren’t working.
Where the Deer Are
Because most deer drives will be done after deer have returned to their bedding grounds, it’s important to know the location of both doe and buck bedding areas. If you hunt regularly on the ground you’re about to drive, you should already know the location of bedding areas. Conducting a deer drive where there are no deer is only a waste of energy.
If you don’t know where the deer are bedding, don’t worry. Actually, many animals — does especially — are apt to be bedded just about anywhere that provides cover.
Spring scouting shortly after deer season ends is a good time to scout for bedding areas. Spooking deer at this time of year is not as big of a deal as spooking deer a couple of weeks before season begins. The deer will find their way back over the summer months and will return to the same area. It’s even possible that a one-time intrusion into their bedroom will not cause them to vacate for any time at all (but don’t do it more than once or twice, especially if you’re unable to scout late in the summer).
Deer that have not been pressured normally bed close to their food source, like in areas of hardmast (acorns), softmast (apples), and cornfields. Once deer start seeing pressure, they’ll seek out-of-the-way bedding areas.
Because deer rely heavily on smell and sound to stay safe while bedded, they pick their bedrooms carefully. With the wind protecting them, deer are likely to be found on the downwind side of ridge tops, not at the peak.
Mature bucks like to bed by themselves. But family groups (does, yearlings, and fawns) normally bed only feet from one another. When you find several beds that are 36 inches in length and less, all very close to one another, you’ve found doe bedding grounds. (As a reference, the bed of a buck will be 40 inches or more in length.)
Don’t forget CRP ground, those acres of land that have been planted into a tree program. Does will be bedded close to the edge. Bucks will be deeper in the cover.
Escape Routes
Now that you know where deer can be found during the day, you have a place to drive. The next thing for you to do is find a place to position the shooters. This is done by locating escape routes.
Where will deer go when pressured by humans? When you know this, you’ll be well on your way to a successful drive. Locating funnels and well-used trails will be a good start. Place shooters downwind of the bedding area on the trails and funnels to ambush deer trying to sneak ahead of the walkers.
Wind Direction
Last, but not least, know the direction of the wind. You might not think that the wind is all that important. After all, you’re not hunting from a stand. Actually, to make a good drive, you want to spook the deer by saturating the area with human odors. This is done by having walkers start on the upwind side of the bedding area and allowing their scent to drift across the bedding area.
Hunters might think the best tactic to get deer up and moving is going through the woods like madmen, making enough noise to wake the dead. This will certainly get the deer up and running, but probably moving too fast for an ethical shot.
As I mentioned, it’s best for shooters to be downwind of the bedding area and the walkers to start upwind. Once the shooters are in position, the walkers slowly make their way through the timber in a zigzag fashion. There’s no need to be in a hurry or loud. Once the deer get a nostril full of human stink, they will get up and slowly move ahead of the approaching danger. In this situation, deer will often present the shooters with a shot at a deer standing still, or at the very least a shot at a deer that’s walking very slowly. If a deer happens to be moving faster than you like, whistle. This will usually stop the animal long enough for you to get a shot off.
A word of caution about getting into position for both the walkers and shooters; don’t spook the deer before you get started. Circle wide around the area you’re about to drive, and don’t let your scent blow into it before you’re ready. Otherwise. deer that were there will be gone and nobody will ever know what happened to them.
Safety
I’ve saved the most important for last. Always wear blaze orange, whether you’re a walker or a shooter. Before starting any drive, communicate with each member of the hunt. Make sure each and every person knows the whereabouts of everyone else. Understand where the walkers will be coming from, and never a fire a shot at noise. Always have a visual of your target.
Never shoot in the direction of anywhere there’s the slightest chance another hunter might be. Listen to your gut. If it is telling you not to shoot, don’t shoot. Wait for the deer to move past and then shoot. At times, this might mean not shooting at all. It shouldn’t be hard to let a deer walk if you have even the slightest inclination a shot is not safe.
Conclusion
Driving deer from heavy cover can be very effective when done correctly. If you’d rather not have a big pot of tag soup throughout the winter, consider a deer drive. If you’ve never tried this technique before, or if you’re skeptical of this being a sporting hunt, give it a try. It might turn out to be one of your favorite ways to fill your deer tags.
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Illustration: Andre Malok
