![]() Standers can kneel on the high side of a tangled ditch, watching the drain below them for whitetails slipping along ahead of drivers. Often such a fence line is along a drainage ditch, usually grown up in thick, buck-loving cover. Thus drives are about the only sensible way for bowmen to hunt such places. In fact, field fence rows where there are no trees are prime places for mini-drives, since trees large enough for hanging tree stands are vacant. Some of the biggest bucks bed in such places, and are largely overlooked by hunters. While the best fence rows are 25 to 75 yards wide, overgrown in briers and tangles, trees big and small, don’t overlook field edges having just chest-high grass. When field crops like corn are harvested, whitetails can concentrate in even narrow field fence rows. In farm fringe country, grown-up fence rows can be perfect spots for mini-drives by bowmen. Small “thickets” formed like islands in a field, or a small creek draw, are great places for bow drives. Further, a pretty sizable piece of woods must be “driven” if more than a half-dozen people are involved.Ĭertain types of deer habitat also make for the best archery deer drives. Too many cooks spoil this hunting broth, since a lot of bowmen invariably make plenty of racket, and spread lots of human scent. Two or three hunters is good, five or six are the maximum. They make for ideal, calm, usually still bow targets.Īnother important ingredient to successful bow drives is to keep it small. Such deer usually just “slip” along, quietly and carefully, stopping often, looking back and listening. Often deer start slipping out of the woods and toward standers the moment drivers are in position because whitetails detect their human scent. “Standers” position themselves downwind of thick deer cover, while “drivers” enter a whitetail thicket from upwind. The best way to achieve this is to use the wind to your advantage. Deer archers “push” shouldn’t be driven along in headlong flight, but slowly moved along ahead of hunters. First, archers aren’t really trying to “drive” deer, you just want to move them slowly along.Ī running deer shot is tough enough with a rifle or shotgun, and with a bow it’s not recommend for anyone. Slow and careful deer drives by bowmen also can be very effective in windy weather, when whitetails prefer to lay low in tight cover and can be approached within bow range by stealthy sportsmen.īowhunting deer drives can be productive almost anywhere, but there are some guidelines for success. This is especially true for bowmen participating in short-term hunts, especially ones on public land where “drawn” permits only allow access for a few days or so. “Driving” deer for bowhunting seems so foolhardy - especially to veteran archers - that the idea seems laughable.īut for bowmen who want to shake things up in their whitetail woods, “driving” deer not only makes sense, but can be deadly effective for archers.
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