Hunting with an ATV/UTV

[dogghr]

I think some probably hunt well using their ATV to get to their stand. But I prefer to walk at my farm and it's not an easy one to my best stands. You miss so much info while not walking. I've changed stands in a heartbeat just on info I picked up going into a stand. In addition, I do know my adjacent guys drive their ATV to their stands and there is no doubt the deer know it because they split exactly between their spots. Of course this just happens to be where my stand sits. I love them coming in to their stands, cause its about to get busy.

But I do think it can depend on how you manage your entrance on a ATV. In our bowhunting only counties, I have to ride in because it is 5 miles in to stand. But the mature deer accept the nuisances much differently in those areas and pay little if any attention to them, even a parked one. One of my largest taken from that area nearly rolled down the hill nto my ATV. Easy haul.

 

[OkieKubota]

My land is very secluded and I tried driving my truck around the first year. Second year I walked every where from base camp. Third year I used an electric golf cart. Best decision I've ever made for hunting my farm. I can drive up to pick up hunters and I scare them because they don't hear me coming on the electric cart.

I am wanting an electric cart for use on our place in the off season. Silent and no ground scent...won't use it for hunting but definitely for checking cameras and while working over there in winter, spring, and summer...

 

[Weasel]

I have good access almost all the way around my 40 acres so we walk most of the time. There are times on odd wind directions that I'll drop a buddy off to avoid them walking across a field. I'm in ag country and the deer are used to equipment moving around the fields and edges. They'll tolerate my UTV rolling across the field edge but if they see a human walking, forget it.

 

[Brokenbear]

I'm thinking everyone is right ..for specific time and conditions they describe ..Bad knees and a missing disc in my back plus huge bluffs and hills has me in an UTV for camera,seeding,ground blind brushing and a compact diesel for disking and mowing ..whats worse is my 240 AC is split right down the middle by our ridge top access road ..no other reasonable way to access the timber stands and food plots ..so I do think the deer get conditioned ..our ridge top road passes thru two really nice food plots and one of our 3 wildlife ponds (no cattle) ..I have driven by does in our red clover not 30 yards away look up and not even stop chewing ..of course stop and they are gone ..in fact ..we have done considerable hinge cuts on the east side of our upper food plots and have gone thru the first one 2 or three times in a morning then stop on the way back thru to answer a cel phone and bam up jumps a buck ..SO ..I think the young deer acclimate ..I think the mature deer tolerate depending on time of the year ..do you lessen your BIG BOY shots using an ATV/UTV ..I think so to a degree ..but we pass on lots of basket 8's, big 6's, 2 1/2's from our stands and ground blinds ..and if we decide to go for big we just put on the gillie suit and worm in among them in the brambles ..last years bramble ramble netted a 17 point non typical for me ..so so sized antlers and a big big body ..so yes ..you can adapt just understanding big'uns go deep in our neck of the woods as pressure and instincts kick in ..but to be honest ..just watching a deer any deer ..up close and personal is worth it all ..not necessarily must blood flow to have great success!

So everyone have a great and safe year ..isn't it is refreshing to see each person able to express their experiences and beliefs without some dude going "purple faced"

Bear

 

[Blizzard Ridge]

I like your last sentence. That is what turned me off from the QDMA site from the beginning. I think opinions are great but getting sideways of someone because of the way they hunt is ridiculous. Just because I choose to hunt mature only deer does not mean that is for everyone. It is all about each individual and I do not respect the ones that are out to kill something for meat or the first set of antlers they see come through the woods any differently than a guy that chooses to pick out a certain buck and kill that buck and that buck only each year. They both are hunters and all of us that are ethical hunters and follow our game laws should respect one another so that we can continue to pursue this passion that we all have.

My avatar is a picture of a target buck that I had. Not the greatest rack in the world but a buck that was over 6. I knew he would be a contender for a local big buck contest but I let him walk twice that night before I shot him because he didn't have a big enough rack. After calling myself an idiot because I just let the oldest buck on the farm walk I decided that if he came back out into the field I would take him. Luck would have it he did and I took the shot. He piled up within 75 yds right in the middle of the field lane (thank goodness). He dressed out at 265# and still to this day there has not been a bigger buck turned into that archery shop for the big buck contest. That was about 15 years ago I guess. And he did score at 146" too so he wasn't little racked. My oldest son killed his first buck that same year, it was a 2yr old little 8 point and I was more proud of it than any deer I ever took. Band together brothers and sisters and lets hold onto and pass down this great luxury we were given in life and respect all aspects of hunting especially our deer hunting and fellow deer hunters.

 

[Drycreek]

I use a Ranger as well as a Bad Boy Buggy. Mostly the Ranger gets used when I'm working on something, and the BBB is what I hunt out of, but I still walk the last 300/400 yd. to the stand. One stand I have is pretty close to a road. I've noticed I can drive the Ranger pretty close to it and still see deer, but the other stands I don't even try to. Quieter is better IMO.

 

[Otghuntingclub]

My property is fairly large...several hundred acres. Only have owned it for a couple years and spending lots of time doing improvements. ATV and Ranger are used all the time, although we do try to keep them on the trail system. It would be hard getting anything done if we had to hoof it everywhere. We see a lot of deer while on them or the tractor. We do try to minimize the traffic starting a month or so before season starts. First time I've seriously hunted property with a full-time atv/utv presence so it's a bit early for me to state definitively either way.

 

[cegawiv]

The trusty off road vehicle. Millions own them, billions have been spent on them. Some folks drive them all the way to their stand locations. I have read of some folks hunting from the seat of one.

Others swear that it will alert every deer in 6 counties if you even park one at camp. Some hunting clubs disallow them unless work is being done with them outside hunting time.

I will wait a few posts before I give my opinion and reasons for my belief.

What say you about the ATV ???

. can am parts

I am debating buying a quad for hunting. However I am having 2nd thoughts. It would only be for hunting / scouting as I do not own land for work purposes. I do have a new f 150 so have a truck. I know atvs can keep tear off of trucks thats the only reason to me. I know atvs can access more spots but alot of states I hunt being AZ, Utah, Idaho, Colorado have units where you can't access alot of little roads with atvs due to new restrictions etc. My style would only be using it to save time vs my truck on rougher roads or take wear off truck. I still hike off roads so this wouldnt be used to road hunt or take off road. So my question is does anyone find just using their daily driver work fine? Im hesitant about dumping upto 13 grand by the time cost of new or used quad with a trailer and gear. Especially with a kid off to college and a quad payment. Curious of the groups thoughts. I know some will buy a old quad for a couple grand but if I did it id go newer for fuel injection and reliability so again trying to decide if needed or be old school and just hike further from truck. Thanks

 

[Drycreek]

That’s personal preference for you at this point. I drive my truck in the woods, but some places I go I can access better with a utv. I live on an 80 acre place and I hunt on it sometimes. I access my stand with a golf cart, one that was made for the woods rather than the golf course. I’m 76, so I’m not walking five hundred yards to my stand anymore. Another place I hunt, I can drive my truck within a hundred yards and deer neither smell nor see me due to terrain features. Different scenarios need different strategies.

 

[yoderjac]

That’s personal preference for you at this point. I drive my truck in the woods, but some places I go I can access better with a utv. I live on an 80 acre place and I hunt on it sometimes. I access my stand with a golf cart, one that was made for the woods rather than the golf course. I’m 76, so I’m not walking five hundred yards to my stand anymore. Another place I hunt, I can drive my truck within a hundred yards and deer neither smell nor see me due to terrain features. Different scenarios need different strategies.

Yep, different strategies for different situations. I used to use an ATV. I'm now using a combination of a UTV and ebike. I use the ebike to head out to my stand. I can get quite close without disturbing deer because it is so quiet. After shooting a deer, I drive the ebike back to the barn. I then change out of my hunting clothes and head back out with the UTV to track and retrieve the deer. I'm getting older and have a bad back, so a bed-winch in the UTV means no lifting of the deer for me. I also use the ATV for working around the pine farm. I got an ebike with a mid-mount motor with enough torque and gearing to handle my hills. I don't pedal at all. I don't want to work up a sweat when heading afield.