virginiashadow

Thanks Doubled and demo....you all are giving me some good hope for this year!

Rickmur

I used to hunt alone the Baltimore/Washington PWKY. Lots of deer. One day I was hunting a mile or more off the highway (came in another way) and heard all these sirensgoing up another road towards the pwky. Turned out a woman was killed when she hit a deer crossing the Pwky and lost control. I wondered if a hunter had pushed it out onto thePwky. Will never know.

Edcyclopedia

I've arrowed a big Doe, an 8 pointer and muzzleloaded a 6 pointer all along a major highway in NH.
I sit and listen to the traffic and even catch a glimpse of lights in the wee hours of the day.
Highways = a border on one side.
Now you have to figure out the other 3 sides!!!

Last year a buddy who lives within 300 yards of a major highway has this pinch point where a huge 10 pointer was spotted in his back yard during rut.
I do not believe it was taken, so I have plans on getting into this spot somehow.
6 years previously, his friend got a big 12 pointer in this pinch point and was a top 10 buck in NH.

virginiashadow

Yep, thats what I plan on doing Ed...thanks, your comments continue to give me some hope on getting on a nice buck or two.

magicman54494

In Wis we salt our main roads in the winter. The deer flock to these roads during the summer and fall. I believe for the salt rich feed.
Major roads are often overlooked, most people believe you have to be way back in the middle of no where.
It was not a major highway but I once shot a 10 pointer so close to a quad trail head that I was listening to 2 guys talking when I shot. The buck could hear these guys and paid no attention to them.

Edcyclopedia

Funny stuff Magic - My 8 pointer I got last Thanksgiving weekend with my pistol was pretty much the same way.

Here's the story...
I took my climbing tree stand off of this ATV trail about 60 yards and set-up shop (300 yards total from my truck).
A few hours later I heard this 8 pointer coming from behind my right shoulder @ a position of 4 o'clock, he suddenly stopped at the stone wall I was sitting beside (about 15 yards from me) and looked off towards me, but well beyond me. All of a sudden I hear a faint ATV coming towards us and so did he. I sat there watching the buck, the whole time with my head tilted down and barely seeing under the brimm of my hat, as not to make eye contact, or move and have the buck bust me. Continuing to watch the bucks head move along, side to side, with the passing ATV's (3 total), he put his nose to the ground and walked another 30 yards and perfectly stopped behind my left shoulder @ a position of 8 o'clock. Now, I had anticipated getting a shot at this buck, so as he initially came into me, I cocked the double action trigger on my Ruger Super RedHawk .44 magnum.
BAMM!
I just about fell out of my tree stand from the muzzle blast. I also knocked the hat off my head as the recoil from the gun and me only holding it with one hand was shocking!
I then proceeded to do a little "jig" in my stand.
Then snap a phone photo and send it to my hunting buddies.
Of course they immediately returned my calls with congats!
What a night and I was smiling ear to ear.
You got to love bedroom community hunting, as it does help narrow down the paths of the deer Mr. VirginiaShaddow.
I never get sick of this photo!

virginiashadow

Awesome Ed--your son sticking his thumb up is a great part of that photo!

MichaelHunsucker

I hunt a piece of property right off I-70 and their are some awesome deer on it! I think they get used to the road noise!

quiksilver

Va - I hunt a few stands just off of a major interstate.

The deer will generally not cross the highway, unless pushed. Use it as a geographic barrier.

The road noise definitely compromises their hearing to a degree, and they tend to be more reliant on vision/smell. That said, they can hone in on a non-roadway sound really quickly. What I mean by that is that, even though you've got a convoy of 18-wheelers roaring past, if you clank the seat or creak the platform - you're nailed.

The highway noise will drive you absolutely insane, especially if you're a guy who relies a lot on hearing to key in on movement.

Edcyclopedia

Thanks VS!

We never taught him "thumbs-up" and he is only 15 months in this picture.
So after snapping about 60 photos and a few marital moments trying to tell my wife how to use our new camera.
You can imagine what a great find this picture was when sifting through the photos and finding Jake with the "thumbs-up"!