T/C fan!

To answer the original question, yes, I think you'll see less mature bucks and does if you're using an atv in your hunting area. Common sense will tell you, with age comes more weariness to foreign smells like gasoline and exhaust. I can speak from expierence on this. My dad is 70+ yrs old and still loves to hunt as much as anyone, but his legs are not what they used to be, so he needs the help of an atv to get in and out. We usually hunt within 500yds or so of each other. I take a different route and walk in and he rides in. I've taken 6 deer in the last 4 years and he's not seen the first one. All of them have come from his general direction, but have bypassed his stand and the only reason I can think of is his atv and the odors that go with it. This may be just a coinsidence, but I think not. just my .02

James B

Any kind of baiting is illegal where I hunt. Also where I hunt in the chyenne river breaks you won't drive a pickup into the canyons. Way to steep. I have no problem with people using four wheelers to retrieve game although we used horses at times. I don't like people driving four wheelers around in the woods or breaks and shooting off of them which many people do. Up in Canada we used four wheelers to haul out moose and bears. But Never to hunt with and never to shoot from. I have seen the damn things out chasing deer and to many people shoot from them as well. It to much temptation for many to resist. Were I making the laws, they would only be legal to haul game out with no weapons allowed to be carried. I will repeat as well that people hunted for many years befor the four wheelers were invented. People who use them for hunting should police thier own ranks or they will be outlawed.

cardeer

There is a place and use for ATV's Used properly I have no problem. If I could afford one it would be nice for me to use since I cant walk very well to get to a huting stand and getting the deer back home or the vehicle.But then I would need a place to use it,which is hard in the burbs.It would keep me independent,would not have to depend on other peiople.Something I try not to do. But heck I could not even load it on a trailer without help,so what good would it be for me.I need a hotrod all terrain wheelchair.Much easir to transport.

soarkrebel

Wholelottagobble you will get alot of opinions on here. some folks are just plain ignorant .
I have two atv's and use them for soooo many things. do they spook deer ? they alert them but they don't stop them from moving by NO means!
I can pull a atv right up to stands and will promise you will see deer and i have had some come right up and smell the things. And as a matter of fact all of the biggest bucks i and my son have taken have been with atv's right at the stand. now i am not talking about button bucks like some name themselves for that is probably the best they get!
just last year my son took a 8 pt with a 17 3/4 " spread 8" g2's almost 7" g3's. a kawasaki 300 4x4 bayou was parked right under the stand.
Hey i am looking at a mount right now of a 8 pt ,18 1/2 spread with perfect tines that was taken with my honda foreman parked beside the stand. now he was killed on a day when i was the only hunter on my 2100 acre hunting club cause the weather was to nasty for those super hunters to hunt . the atv sure helped me get in my warm tower stand faster and SURE helped me get him in a ice chest quicker.

But kevin 1 made a good point my herd is conditioned to atv's and tractors. all year they hear and see them. i mean ALL year! i don't just get into hunting in the fall it's a life style for me . folks think i am nuts building deer stands all year long it's kind of like a hobby for me.
here is an example of how conditioned deer can get to you and machines. two weeks ago my son was working on a science project for school. he was going to put cages in some of our plots to try and determine if deer liked rape or turnips better. so we had been working all day and about 9:30 at night we decided to ride over and put these out in our plots. we have two plot seperated by oh 200 yards that you can see from one stand. we rode over and began placing his chicken wire cage in the plot with rape after finishing we went to the other . two does were standing in it and just wouldnt leave. we put the other out with them standing about 40 yards away just watching us. atv running the whole time , us driving the stakes in the ground they stood!

Anyway you keep doing the way you want and have fun . i for one don't place much on folks opinions if i did i might be in the nut house.

hey try a barrel feeder with a motor. the money you save and the response is better IMO. i have three but none are out at the moment. my food plots have spoiled me to a better way.
Not that yours is bad cause i have done the same as you but the plots over time save you money and the reponse is AWESOME!

soarkrebel

T/C fan my son is 14 years old and he has taken 6 deer in two years and let see he killed his first at 9 and i believe his count now is about 10 deer in his hunting career. all were taken with a atv nearby and it riden to the stand.
And heck out of a 2100 acre hunting and 16 adult members he took the largest last year in the camp. i couldnt even muster up a bigger one!

Try finding your father another stand location. it's not the atv it's the deer and how they travel.




JAMES B i am sure glad i dont live where you do with all those OUTLAW atv'ers riding around shootin up everything and just being LAWLESS!

I am sure glad i haven't seen any of them around these parts must be the dakotas??

You don't need your pickup either or electricity or city water. try taking your wifes washer and dryer away?
Geez enjoy the creations of technology .

fillae

We have a atv rule that seems to work for us on our lease. As soon as archery season starts, atv's are not allowed in the woods period. We are fortunate enough that we have cropland that completely surrounds the woods, so we can ride an atv around the woods. My stand is the farthest from the cabin, so I appreciate the ride.

I Elk hunted for the first time this year. This was also my first hunt on public lands. We had atv's (and pickups for that matter) driving through our camp and heading into the woods. One evening I was hunting a meadow and about 6pm (just before dark) and atv came driving up only to turn around when he saw me sitting there. I was really turned off to public lands by this trip. I realize these are the minority of hunters, but by driving around the woods they ruined the hunt for everyone.

Since your deer herd is not very big, your chances of spooking them are less, but I would still keep the atv out as much as possible. At least park it down wind when you hunt. As long as you respect your fellow hunters and don't drive around looking for game to shoot, I wouldn't worry about it. 5 deer the last 2 years in the terrain you hunt is good by anyones standards. Keep it up.

buttonbuckmaster

wholelaottagobble....man, I was just jerking your chain. Ease up a tad. We are all hunters and I am not trying to tick anyone off. Most of my posts are tongue in cheek. Someone talked about hunting in Illinois and having huge deer numbers. All depends on where you hunt. There are properties where I hunt and see deer almost daily. Other places, maybe a deer a week if I am lucky. Been hunting almost 20 years and still no P&Y buck on my wall. All of Illinois is not Pope county. Sorry to offend.....no hard feelings.

James B

We have ATV's as well. We don't use them for hunting except to retrieve game that we can't get to any other way. I do cringe a little though when someone says a guy can't hunt without one. Because of people abusing these things, many landowners have closed thier land to thier use. We do use electricity although I was 15 before we had it. For people who can't handle the physical end of hunting they are great. Good Luck.

wholelottagobble

James- After your posts on this topic you have made it very clear that you can out- walk, out -climb, out- run, and out- hunt us all. One thing that is definetly clear is that you can't out-smart us atv users. Because while you are busy complaining that the only people atv's are good for are "those who can't handle the physical end of hunting" the rest of us are on our four wheeler's headed to our stands without so much as needing a deep breathe or breaking a sweat. It is obvious to all us lazy atv users that you have conquered the world of hunting. Maybe you should try something new, like the olympics. Only problem is, as good as you make it sound you are at trekking cross-country on your hunts...you have probably already used performance enhancing drugs and the IOC frowns upon that!!! you may have been hunting 48 years but you still need to grow up...your way of hunting isn't the only way!!!

soarkrebel

buttonbuckmaster hey use those smiley faces. they help relay your intent in your post.