Deer Hunting and ATV's

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1bigrn

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I was up north a couple of weeks ago. Our deer camp consisted of seven guys and we were in the Port Loring Area.

In the morning when most of us were still hunting, one of our members in our group was driving up and down the roads on his ATV, hunting Grouse and screaming at his dog to "hunter up". Many times this ATV was within 100 meters of where guys were set up in stands.
The logging roads typically had 5-10 ATV running up and down them per day. I'm sure less in non-deer hunting season.

I personally thought his bird hunting with his dog and driving the ATV was detrimental to our still hunting. But he thought this was not the case since "many ATV's run up and down the trail". He suggested this was similar to pushing the bush. But of course pushing the bush was a controlled push; and this was random in everyway driving up and down logging roads.

I'm new to deer hunting. But what do you guys think. Was his driving the ATV and bird hunting detrimental to our still hunting?
Thanks
 
We take ATVs also to our camp but we only use them for pulling out our kill. Why would he need his ATV to hunt birds is he crippled? When our camp goes for deer that is what we hunt for. If we see a bird that may be in range of a pellet pistol so be it.
 
All I can tell you is that my father in law gets close to a lot of deer when he is on his tractor. Make of it what you will.
 
Deer don't seem ot be too worried about tractors and farm equiptment. I think its because they are usually at a steady RPM ( not revving up and down all the time) and they see them all year long. ATV's on the other hand I think they will scare deer. Deer see something ripping threw the bush making loud weird sounds is going to send them in the opposite direction.
 
ATV's don't scare deer if ATV's are used year round on the trails being driven. Deer pay little attention to familiar noises in familiar places.
 
I hunted Port Loring area for many years with a CO and a deer biologist and they told me majority of the deer there are not local during hunting season. They migrate to the Loring deer yard feeding area for the winter from the surounding wilderness from as far as the shores of Lake Nippissing, so they will never encounter a ATV there.

Definitely the ATV will be detrimental to your still deer hunting in this situation. Does your member know most of the deer are migrants?
 
I’m a guide for deer and bear and would say no I wouldn’t..
Where I hunt there is a lot of atv activity up and down the trails all year long( close to Algonquin park).
While baiting, I have gone around corners and there have been deer’s sitting in the middle of the trails.. They just stood there and looked at me, so I stopped to see what would happen and they just calmly walked away..
But I wouldn’t recommend it though because during the hunting season it’s a whole different ball game. When they got dogs chasing them, people shooting at them, different smells(people) and everything, so they become more cautious… so why increase the chance of spooking them.. I don’t understand you guys are there to deer hunt, couldn’t he wait till after you guys got a couple to do stuff like that, or do that in a completely different area.. Plus he’s got a better chance to walk the trail then ride his bike(while at least where I am since the birds don’t stick around to long once you spot them, so there gone by the time you get the gun out)… but that’s how some people are…

But what can I say.. I did shoot a deer last tuesday while riding my atv on the trail leaving the stand…Right time right place I guess
 
he forgot to mention that the only deer killed was within 62 yrds of a running atv that a fellow hunter had to get off the bike, uncase his gun load 3 into the mag chamber one and fire. Plus he forgot to mention that he was set up 100 yrds from a main logging road. If i wanted a secluded hunt I would setup maybe 300+ yrds away from a main vien thru loring country. He also forgot to mention that the guy hunting the grouse with his dog (me), got off the bike one early morning on the main logging road, One of the other guys in our party got a shot at a deer that was pushed towards him. And no buddy I'm not crippled but when one is hunting birds and getting the dog out for a run, it's nice to whip up the logging roads with the atv.
 
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Woodsman said:
ATV's don't scare deer if ATV's are used year round on the trails being driven. Deer pay little attention to familiar noises in familiar places.
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Very true!
I watched a few deer this season as ATVs were tavelling close by,and they payed no attention what so ever.I was amazed at that but when three close by shots(maybe 400yds away) went off,and startled me the deer didnt even show sighns that they heard the shots.
 
Woodsman said:
ATV's don't scare deer if ATV's are used year round on the trails being driven. Deer pay little attention to familiar noises in familiar places.
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Thats not what I see from an archery stand. They notice and evaluate every sound and scent.

There's just too many deer around in some areas right now for that point to be made.

Idiots hunting from vehicles is becoming way too common; a blight on our sport.
 
I have seen many a deer driving motocross on the trails and if the crosser dont scare them i dont no what will!
 
Sorry, But ATV's are ment for the work. Yes they do scare deer and moose. The most aggravating is the running of them and the guys that drive them don't seem to understand that they would see far more game off them then they do on them.

I put up with ATV's near all year long where I live and also up North hunting as well. On the highest percentage I see more game with out them around or after they have left and things settle back down. This very thing happened to me in South River just on Saturday afternoon. For two days I never seen a person as I scouted. I sat for a 3 hour sit Saturday afternoon. 1 1/2 hours into sitting in a clear cut, I hear ATV's coming, why not ? They are always around 3 hours back home when I hunt there too. Well they pass right by me and all 3 wave. I'm cival and wave back and an Hour after they left, a buck walks out and I kill it.

Its so nice to hear the woods as it is, instead of the consent roar of ATV's on and off the throttle

If your going to hunt get off the machines, or plan your time doing the ATV trails at a different time of the year. Seems anyone that owns one now has lost all respect for people that don't own them.

Believe me I have owned one before and now live without it...
 
I have seen many and elder that would not be in the woods hunting and enjoying the sport and passion they have without one! So i find alot of what you said hard to choke down Adrian... I no my grandfather wouldnt be hunting with me this year after battling cancer had it not been for and atv! And yes he shot a deer off it!
 
Adrian J Hare said:
Sorry, But ATV's are ment for the work. Yes they do scare deer and moose. The most aggravating is the running of them and the guys that drive them don't seem to understand that they would see far more game off them then they do on them.

I put up with ATV's near all year long where I live and also up North hunting as well. On the highest percentage I see more game with out them around or after they have left and things settle back down. This very thing happened to me in South River just on Saturday afternoon. For two days I never seen a person as I scouted. I sat for a 3 hour sit Saturday afternoon. 1 1/2 hours into sitting in a clear cut, I hear ATV's coming, why not ? They are always around 3 hours back home when I hunt there too. Well they pass right by me and all 3 wave. I'm cival and wave back and an Hour after they left, a buck walks out and I kill it.

Its so nice to hear the woods as it is, instead of the consent roar of ATV's on and off the throttle

If your going to hunt get off the machines, or plan your time doing the ATV trails at a different time of the year. Seems anyone that owns one now has lost all respect for people that don't own them.

Believe me I have owned one before and now live without it...
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So i guess since you are hunting, the woods are all yours and we better curb our enjoyment because you dont like atv's. seems fair to me.
 
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I feel like an old fart for saying it but I see ATV's as useful hunting tools for getting from point to point of extended distances and great for hauling game. I can't ever imagine wanting one burning around my stand. I like the peace and serenity and the unscripted arrival of game more than the drive concept. I suppose to each their own mindset.
 
Eagle160 said:
I feel like an old fart for saying it but I see ATV's as useful hunting tools for getting from point to point of extended distances and great for hauling game. I can't ever imagine wanting one burning around my stand. I like the peace and serenity and the unscripted arrival of game more than the drive concept. I suppose to each their own mindset.
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Would you put your stand 100 meters from a main logging road and not expect to hear others moving thru the bush? This is what we are talking about here. He sets up 100 meters off the road in the bush and gets sand in his ###### when others are enjoying their holiday in the north when the deer hunting was slow. His other theory was the sound of the shotgun going off was scaring the deer away. I guess when you are in 1000's of miles of crown land the hunts over when a shot goes off.
 
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I spend alot of time in the woods winter, spring and fall, and I can honestly tell you a walking man woman or child, will scare deer 100 times more than you driving a road with a ATV. There is also a huge sent trail advantage by traveling to your stand with a bike.

I used to get my old man to drop me off at a stand where my feet never hit the ground from the bike, and it made a huge difference.

Durring the deer camp gang hunt we bike to each watch and park the bikes at the watch. I have seen deer almost jump over the bike as it was a rock.

We do ok on our deer hunt!
 
1bigrn said:
I was up north a couple of weeks ago. Our deer camp consisted of seven guys and we were in the Port Loring Area.

Was his driving the ATV and bird hunting detrimental to our still hunting?
Thanks
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You decide.

I think it comes down to the opinions of the hunters in the camp (all of them) and the agreements that should have been reached between them, as far as who hunts where and how.

As per the "camp rules" discussion, what goes on this year, affects who comes next year. Maybe the person is left off the invite list, maybe you decide that the particular camp is not where you want to be, or both.

The times I go out with a group of friends, we keep the group small, the area as large as we can, and we don't see each other, or hear each other, except maybe a shot in the distance, until we come in for lunch.

If I were to cruise the area a friend of mine was hunting, yelling at the dog and shooting birds when there were deer or moose tags yet to fill, I'd not be welcome, and probably be told to get the f**k out, in no uncertain terms.
None of my friends have any trouble at all with the atv part of the deal, but I think it would be safe to expect a s**tstorm if I went cruising the areas that I knew the others were in.

Get a half hours slow walk back from the road and you wouldn't hear a logging truck, let alone passing quads. After all, if you got quads, you ain't planning on packboarding the meat out.

The idea of going out to a hunt camp together is cooperation, no? What goes in that camp as good, may not wash in another.

Your call.

Cheers
Trev
 
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