Do you use an ATV (where legal) or walk to your stand? I have always walked because for a long time where I hunted we couldn’t use ATV’s and now we hunt private but it’s only 80 acres and I feel walking won’t spook the deer in the morning like the ATV could. Is my thinking wrong or does it matter more where you hunt? We hunt in a agricultural area so tractors and such are a common noise to the deer.
I feel walking won’t spook the deer in the morning like the ATV could
Its actually the complete opposite. Deer will spook from a person on foot, but they have learned to accept the noise of an ATV in many locations. I would use the ATV if you are able to.
Remember, the deer can see, hear, and smell you in the dark too.
Have someone drive you out on the ATV, drop you off and leave.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Stanley wrote:</div>
I feel walking won’t spook the deer in the morning like the ATV couldIts actually the complete opposite. Deer will spook from a person on foot, but they have learned to accept the noise of an ATV in many locations. I would use the ATV if you are able to.
Remember, the deer can see, hear, and smell you in the dark too.
I have years of trail cam pics that you roves this at my farm. Atv, lawnmower, tractor they just walk a circle around you. Walking spooks
Have someone drive you out on the ATV, drop you off and leave.
That actually works really good. They wander back in shortly after the wheeler left.
Works for Bear hunting too especially if you drop food off and leave. They get the pattern figured out pretty quickly.
I wish I could use an ATV for all the above reasons. In the past I have bicycled into some areas.
So it seems like I have been wrong all these years lol. I like the idea of being dropped off but it won’t work for our situation without making multiple trips. Only 1 ATV for 5 of us. So like I said it’s all farm land where we hunt. I can see the whole property from the farm house. I would have to leave the ATV on the side of the property that 3 of us hunt on. Where would you think is best to leave it? By a stand or try to hide it close and walk the rest of the way? We have lots of tall grass and cattails on the property
Edit: I do have a metal ATV trailer some could ride in and may be able to be dropped off that way so only 1 trip?
maybe its just me, But I’d never drive a ATV anywhere near my deer hunting area unless I had to. Even in area where farm equipment is normal I would thing a ATV in a area before sunup would be strange for deer. Then again I’ve never been around people who use ATV’s while deer hunting
If you hunt in farm country, I would have no concern about using an ATV. In the dark, the deer hear an engine. They may stop and listen but as soon as it is gone, they resume what they were doing.
If you hunt in the middle of a 10,000 acre state forest, I would be more weary. The deer are not used to that sound.
I hunt ag fields in the evening. Sometimes there will be 20 deer out feeding and I get pinned down in my stand. I’ll call my buddy to come and get me with the truck or wheeler. All they do is run to the edge of the woods. When we leave the field they walk back out and continue eating.
DT
Walk to the stand for me. Atv is only used for dragging deer out. I’m also only on a 75 acre chunk. My walks are 5 minutes maybe 10 when I really creep. And we kill our fair share of deer.
I have always walked but here lately have wondered if an E bike would be better. It has to be in the leaving sent on the ground department.
My best spots are accessed through the back door, through a creek or ditch etc where deer are not at or can see me.
I shot a buck in Kansas 4 years ago that I bumped from the stand site walking in at gray light.
An hour later I rattled him into 10 yards and shot him quartering away.
Always walked until a few years ago getting older and not into walking up hills and getting all sweaty. Started using wheeler to get up the hill and walk from there. Things I’ve noticed is as long as your moving doesn’t really affect most deer especially the does, mature bucks I believe is a different story. I think I’m messing up stands that are along the hill road, so this year I upped my game and bought an e bike. Wow things are amazing, used it twice now and I can cover a mile of ground in 7 min. I wasn’t looking to break the bank on an experiment so I opted for a 15000.00 bike and so far very pleased.
15000.00?
For an ebike I think that would break my bank.
Assuming you meant 1500.00?
Always walked until a few years ago getting older and not into walking up hills and getting all sweaty. Started using wheeler to get up the hill and walk from there. Things I’ve noticed is as long as your moving doesn’t really affect most deer especially the does, mature bucks I believe is a different story. I think I’m messing up stands that are along the hill road, so this year I upped my game and bought an e bike. Wow things are amazing, used it twice now and I can cover a mile of ground in 7 min. I wasn’t looking to break the bank on an experiment so I opted for a 15000.00 bike and so far very pleased.
I’m obviously farm land and I intentionally condition the deer with activity. I’m interested in how the bike works out for you. As I mentioned above, I see very clearly how deer walk circles around me as I drive through. EVERY Saturday is lawnmower trimming my main lanes. I have the oldest mature does trot 50 or so yrds away and walk right back after I’m done. Kind of funny in a way to see the trail cam pics of how fast they come back after cutting grass. Now, if I drive a gasser truck out in the field, game over for hours. My diesel trucks they almost walk up to it.
Years of conditions plus I think the predator/prey thing kicks in. The more silent and “stalk” mode your in, the more weary they get. I pay most attention to what the old grandma does do. If they are comfortable, all the mature bucks stick around. Scare granny, then go home it’s game over
I have always ground hunted and used natural cover. So the walk and stalk is my game. It’s actually crazy how close you can walk up on a deer in the right conditions. But wind and many other things are a huge factor on how you have to access the area. I don’t plan on just walking in and out the same trail everyday.
Assuming you meant 1500.00?
Haha, ya I’m sure he meant 1500. I saw some the other day for 1400.
LOL at E-Bikes being the big craze, people are so lazy. Just use a regular mountain bike. I’ve biked right up on all kinds of deer when scouting.
Where I used to hunt ATV’s were not allowed but there were dirt roads running throughout the public land and there was a group that used pedal bikes to tow little carts to get back in where they hunted. We put everything on deer carts and walked out on the road then would branch off to different areas as we went. My buddy still hunts the area and said he saw an ebike last year.
Haha, ya I’m sure he meant 1500. I saw some the other day for 1400.
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You can actually get a kit now days to convert a mtn bike to an e bike for as low at $800. (The only ones i have researched are the bafang mid drive). One of the biggest factors in price is the battery. How big and how many volts.
I think this is the route I am going to go with. Just need to get over the fear of ripping apart my mtn bike. Lol
LOL at E-Bikes being the big craze, people are so lazy. Just use a regular mountain bike. I’ve biked right up on all kinds of deer when scouting.
I tend to agree with you.
The main reason I would want to convert my mtn bike to an e bike is to reduce the amount I sweat going in.
Because of age I bought an “electric ” side by side. It’s wonderful for hunting. Quieter then walking -Powerful to haul a deer out- It’s allowed me to greatly extend my hunting career. I’m 77 years old –It does have a limited range but I don’t go on trail rides etc. anyway.
LOL at E-Bikes being the big craze, people are so lazy. Just use a regular mountain bike. I’ve biked right up on all kinds of deer when scouting.
It would be pretty hard to drag a deer with a pedal bike. I don’t have a e bike nor will I. But the neighbors have 2 and they are a blast. He pulls his deer out of public land with one. I guess I never looked at him and thought he was just a lazy sob.
He pulls his deer out of public land with one.
He can drag a deer out with an e-bike? Wow, I didn’t realize they had that kind of power. I’ve seen them cruising on the pavement and sidewalks but over rough terrain with a rider AND hauling a deer?
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Bearcat89 wrote:</div>
He pulls his deer out of public land with one.He can drag a deer out with an e-bike? Wow, I didn’t realize they had that kind of power. I’ve seen them cruising on the pavement and sidewalks but over rough terrain with a rider AND hauling a deer?
He has some fat tire bike. It’s a torque machine. Throw a tarp under the deer and he he’d pull that bad boy on any decent hard pack.
I’ll ask him what bike he and the wife have. They are fun to rip around. They are wheelie machines
It would be pretty hard to drag a deer with a pedal bike. I don’t have a e bike nor will I. But the neighbors have 2 and they are a blast. He pulls his deer out of public land with one. I guess I never looked at him and thought he was just a lazy sob.
Didn’t mean it as a personal dig at anyone with an E-bike, just the sentiment in general. No one ever talked about bikes for hunting until they through a battery on them and now they’re the latest and greatest. It’s like if ice fishing didn’t exist until power augers came along.
I used to Atv half way to my stand then walk the rest of the way. One year I parked it 200 yds away in sight of stand and wouldn’t you know it deer walked by it. They looked at it as they walked 5 feet from it and kept on coming towards my stand. Another time i had a doe run across field and jump over the atv. Ever since then I have driven to my stand and shot plenty of deer including 2 trophy’s. They just don’t seem to care about Atv’s. From my stand I can see where my buddy walks to his stand and the deer come running out like a deer drive. He thinks atv spooks them. LOL
Slightly related to this topic, but would an e-bike be acceptable to use on public land during deer firearms season during the ATV restricted hours? On public land you can only operate an ATV prior to legal shooting time, between 11-2, and after legal shooting time. I’m wondering if an e-bike would fall under this restriction or not.
Slightly related to this topic, but would an e-bike be acceptable to use on public land during deer firearms season during the ATV restricted hours? On public land you can only operate an ATV prior to legal shooting time, between 11-2, and after legal shooting time. I’m wondering if an e-bike would fall under this restriction or not.
Interesting question, but the regs do not specify anything about bikes. Only ATVs/Snowmobiles, though its been years since we had enough snow to use a snowmobile.
From the MnDNR Brochure: Check the asterisk…
Screenshot-2022-10-13-103251.jpg
Good find, pretty clear to me.
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