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Someone explain

Mike

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,840
223
Up Nort
How in the hell do BIG deer survive year after year? I see huge deer shot every year and I just can't believe how they survive; especially seeing how the wood lots in my areas are pushed during gun season.
 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
24,834
247
I truly believe mature deer's naturally laziness saves them. Older deer do not move very much during daylight hours. If they do not stumble into a poacher, their nocturnal nature keeps them safe. The only reason they get on their feet is the rut, if it weren't for that, most would never be killed.
 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
24,834
247
Driving deer is effective, but if a buck lives through a season or two of it, he knows how to avoid the shooting. My personal favorite place (if I have a tag late in gun season) is right up against a farmer's house. Those deer watch people walk to the back of the farm, but few hunt close to the houses. Sneaky, big bucks will hide in the smallest of places, as long as they are safe.
 

Milo

Tatonka guide.
8,184
157
Yep I have a friend who has killed a 160 and 170 driving deer and shot them when they stood up at dam near point blank range. This guy is mostly a gun hunter but he has my respect and has killed some studs and none of these bs shots you hear.
 

loose_is_fast

Junior Member
618
108
McClure
If they sit tight you will never pick em off unless you walk right up to them. Usually when you see a group push a woods there will be two or three that walk and the rest sit. Well the deer are way safer to sit tight than jump up and run. Most guys are looking way up ahead of them and walking fast through the woods you could walk within ten feet of a deer bedded this way and never know it.
 

Lundy

Member
1,307
127
I hunt an area that is high and allows be to see over a lot of the adjoining property, one big valley is probably 250-300 acres.

For many years I have known when I big (25-30 guys) drive is being setup on the property, they run 2-3 there during the week.

First the dogs at the houses on one roads that borders to the East start going insane as the hunters unload and start to work into their drive positions. The dogs on the little lane on the West end start to bark like crazy as the standers start to work up the hill into position. When all of this starts I can expect the deer to come running across our property with 10 minutes, we are on the South side. It will be another 15-20 minutes before I see them start their drive and bunches of deer have already left the building before they even start. They will kill a bunch of deer during the drive and I will see more come across during the actual drive, but some know the routine as well as the hunters do:)
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
They live through gun season by holding tight and knowing when to cut back. A few years ago I was on a drive and the drivers got a group of big does up. They were going right for the standers but not a shot was fired. We couldn't figure out how this group of deer made it out of this drive as it was basically a big U shape and pretty tight. A buddy and I went back to trace their tracks. We picked them up where he jumped them and followed them down into a small ravine. In the snow you could see where they stood there mulling around in a 10 foot circle. Tracks on-top of tracks in this small area. They stood there listening and looking long enough to figure out where every single person in that drive was located then slipped out the only hole never to be seen. People say deer can't reason. I say those people are stupid.
 
Mike
I hunted a woods this Deer gun season
That had a deer drive go through while I was up in a tree stand in the woods

6 or 7 people pushed the woods
Not 20 min after they left
A doe that was bedded down 50 yds from my stand got up and started feeding

So she let the people walk right past her
And I bet there were other deer still in the woods
As there are several thick old clear cut areas
Several with BlackBerry or Rose in them
So I would bet big $$ none of the people that pushed the woods went through those areas

The smart deer know where to hide
And don't run unless someone almost steps on them

OH BTW not sure how many people were posted on the sides of the woods
Or how many deer ran

But only 2 shots were fired and 0 deer were killed

John
 

buckbuster217

*Supporting Member*
3,136
85
Byesville, Ohio
I gotta agree with everyone about them laying tight, we was watching a group across a big holler several years back and we could see a nice buck laying in a big multi floral rose bush, we watched as one of the drivers walked up to the multi floral took the easy route around it and continued on. That buck layed there not 5 feet from this guy with his head straight out on the ground motionless, as soon as he was past that deer low crawled out the bush and slowly walked off looking over his shoulder watching the guy the whole time. They learn real quick what works and what doesnt, we have also noticed when we made drives that the buck would let the does go first and then see where the shots are coming from and then avoid that area
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
Years ago guys like Dick Idol,Bob McGuire,the Wenzels and Roger Rothaar have mentioned that after a buck reaches a certain age they become a different animal species when survival is brought into the discussion. I really believe that is true but also believe that all deer have different personalities and tolerances to human intrusion. In other words as few as they might be I believe there are some deer that are almost unkillable or have died of old age,by crossing the road or poached.

The old saying, "They don't get old by being dumb" is pretty dang true as with each year they survive all the obstacles that are trying to kill them they grow all the more wiser.
 

beaston

Junior Member
My personal favorite place (if I have a tag late in gun season) is right up against a farmer's house. Those deer watch people walk to the back of the farm, but few hunt close to the houses. Sneaky, big bucks will hide in the smallest of places, as long as they are safe.

Experienced this exact thing during muzzy season several years ago. Followed with no doubt a very mature deers tracks to an old milk house on an abandoned farmstead. He jumped up out of a small briar patch and ran between me and a major highway. He escaped without a shot.. Ever since than I never bypass such cover. I will walk a great distance across an open field just to check a bush near a drainage.
 

Gordo

Senior Member
5,515
121
Athens County
Ive had this conversation alot with people lately.

They are cool under pressure and dont panic. It seems there's more of a thought process

Whether its sitting tight, or taking that extra 10 seconds to assess the situation before making their move.

They dont act on 'instinct' alone. They are on a different level.

Why do some deer have this while most do not?
 
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Fullbore

Senior Member
6,439
126
South Eastern Ohio
Years ago guys like Dick Idol,Bob McGuire,the Wenzels and Roger Rothaar have mentioned that after a buck reaches a certain age they become a different animal species when survival is brought into the discussion. I really believe that is true but also believe that all deer have different personalities and tolerances to human intrusion. In other words as few as they might be I believe there are some deer that are almost unkillable or have died of old age,by crossing the road or poached.

The old saying, "They don't get old by being dumb" is pretty dang true as with each year they survive all the obstacles that are trying to kill them they grow all the more wiser.

I agree whole heartily with ya, Bro!
A lot of great anologies from other people as well! Plus throw in a little buck fever on certain hunters. You have a multitude of reasons why most mature bucks survive.
 

matthewusmc8791

Junior Member
288
46
NE Ohio
They live through gun season by holding tight and knowing when to cut back. A few years ago I was on a drive and the drivers got a group of big does up. They were going right for the standers but not a shot was fired. We couldn't figure out how this group of deer made it out of this drive as it was basically a big U shape and pretty tight. A buddy and I went back to trace their tracks. We picked them up where he jumped them and followed them down into a small ravine. In the snow you could see where they stood there mulling around in a 10 foot circle. Tracks on-top of tracks in this small area. They stood there listening and looking long enough to figure out where every single person in that drive was located then slipped out the only hole never to be seen. People say deer can't reason. I say those people are stupid.


So very true.. The key that I've found when I have to be part of a drive is slow and steady. Do not let them find holes. Zig zag.. And zig then the zag... They are smart, when you sit in the woods and see 170" deer walking around, it truly is amazing.. The more time you spend in the woods the better you will be and learn these patterns and characteristics of these older deer. as everyone knows, a deer gets to 7 years old, be a male or female, they are not dumb. JMTC.
 

Redhunter1012

Senior Member
Supporting Member
Growing up in the flatlands of southern Wood county, I always noticed if the locals are running a herd of deer, the biggest buck is never leading or trailing, almost always in the middle of the pack. And when a herd stops in a woods after a long run, that big boy will keep on busting through and run for miles before finding safety.