A How to Hunting Guide for Driving Deer More Successfully

It seems that the deer drive is a dying tradition in many parts of the country and that is a shame. There are few if any methods of hunting late season deer that are as effective and exciting than deer drives. Deer drives are also simple and are safe when done properly.

Contrary to many hunters idea of a deer drive you don't need a lot of people. While it isn't ideal it is possible to drive deer with only two hunters. Here are a few ways that two people can drive deer to each other. The simplest way for two hunters to drive deer is to walk in parallel to each other through hollows and around hillsides. The theory here is that a hunter will jump deer and run it to where the hunter will see it. Another way is to scout out a patch of woods or brush that may hold deer and put one hunter near a known or expected escape route. Then the other hunter simply hunts his way through the area leaving the other hunter to watch.

If you have more than two hunters the methods of driving deer can be almost limitless. Some choose to ring a patch of woods a walk into the center. Others choose to ring the woods and send a lone hunter into the woods to walk throughout and hope to run deer to the standers on the outside. In my experience the best way to drive with many hunters is to divide into groups of standers and drivers. The standers will quietly gather around the woods and take a stand and wait for the drivers who will start through the woods at a predetermined time. The drivers need to form a line and move together. Ideally drivers should be able to see the drivers on each side of them to assure that deer are not able to double back through their line. It is important to remember that deer will often lay tight and let hunters pass them. For this reason drivers need to walk in straight lines and hit each area that may hold deer.

As with all hunting, safety needs to be a top priority when driving deer. Especially when driving deer as hunters are in close proximity to each other blaze orange is a must. I prefer that everyone is also wearing blaze orange hats or toboggans so that when you are coming up over a bank the first thing that appears is the blaze orange. When choosing a stand hunters need to consider where the other hunters will be and their backstop. Generally shots into the woods should be avoided and standers should locate themselves in areas that will present shots at deer that have passed their location.

Driving deer is a great way to hunt. Hearing the crash of approaching deer coming through the woods is a great thrill that you shouldn't miss.

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