Four wheeler riding on a club

Do you guys allow it to go to and from a hunting area? Do you think it affects the deer or not? I have heard this argument go strongly both ways. I'm a firm believer that it does affect deer and puts unnecessary pressure.

They hardly ever get used at our club...we have a good road system except for one stretch....and a 4 wheel drive truck can make that with no problem.... To me...it affects them... I have been in stands where a truck can drive down the road and all the deer do is turn their head....never move.... Four wheeler goes by and they are gone before it ever gets within 100-150 yards....

We only allow it to the parking areas which are usually designated a good ways off of the hunting area. Its all walk in only from there. We do not allow any mid day or after dark activity whatsoever on the property either. I have been on clubs that allow four wheeler riding and I think our deer a far less pressured than clubs I have been a part of in the past.

I use to be a fan of the walk in rule but I've since changed my mind. Its not possible for everyone to do but if you hunt with a small group and have the ability.....if everyone will use some type of quiet vehicle, then I think the best way is to drive hunters right to their stand..... drop 'em off then come back and pick 'em up. I have a small suzuki truck called a Carry that work ideal for this. Its near silent for a gas powered engine. I've seen other people use a Samurai and it also works really well.

What this does is it keeps human scent off all the trails. If you walk in and out....in and out...all over every trail system in your property, then you are loudly announcing to the deer that there are humans roaming all over the property. Your scent stays on those trails long after you've gone past and it adds "pressure" to the deer herd that may cause more nocturnal activity to take place.

I use an electric cart and get as close to my hunting area as I can, without disturbing the deer

If you hunt where they are used to seeing trucks, tractors, 4 wheelers and such I don't think it's a big deal. But if you are hunting way back in timber like some of our areas in Northeast Bama , they are used to quiet and then all of a sudden here comes the camo warriors starting just before hunting season. I think it matters then. I like to keep it quiet.

IMO, walking scent free as possible, with rubber boots is best in our area. Walkin' ain't crowded either.

I've got a silencer on mine, and with a new(er) truck, my wheeler is gonna get some use. There's no doubt it bothers them some, but so does anything else like a truck, gravel popping under golf cart tires, etc. When I figure out a way to just disappear at the gate and reappear in my stand I'll let y'all in on it.

We use them very little. Mostly drive trucks. You can not walk to everywhere on our property. I probably used a four wheeler 5 times last year.

Hunting pressure spooks deer.
If all the hunting pressure comes from ATV's....then, it will spook them! The same can be said for trucks.....

If you think deer can't hear a truck or golf cart, but can hear an ATV; you are fooling yourself!

I have been on the phone with my wife and her say, "You must be getting close." When I asked why, she said. "Your dogs all just got up and started whining and barking." AND, I will still be 1/4 to 1/2 mi from where I turn off Hwy 43 (WELL TRAVELED) to drive the 1 mile of dirt road to my house!!! And, no...I don't run 'pipes' and such! Amazing really!

I have the same experience with my dogs as Hogwild. I have also thought over the years that deer know when you hunt regardless of how you access the woods. At our old place in Hardaway it was amazing how much more road traffic there was on Saturday and Sundays passing by. Hunt a week day and you hardly heard a car but come the weekend it sounded like an interstate full of mud tires. I find it hard to believe that the deer don't catch on to that.

If done right, I do not think that there is any difference than driving a vehicle. Before it was stolen, my four wheeler had a silencer on it and it was quieter than most vehicles. This being said, I'm also one that hunts where most people don't care to go. I think that the biggest mistake people make when it comes to ATV/UTV is that they do a lot of joy riding just before the season and during when not hunting.

On my club which is basically a large rectangle in shape we only allow any type of vehicle on the exterior roads system. Walking only on the interior roads unless you are going to pick up a kill. It seems to work for us.

Agree. Our place is a pretty large tract , we have a main road through the middle, we drive it and a couple of side roads a little ways. From the main road we walk, sometimes a very long way, it works.

On the club I've been in for the last 3 years, we've rode fourwheelers all over it during the season and it always was hell to even see a deer after opening weekend. Now that the lease has switched hands, we are only going to use em for retrieving deer. I'm confident this will be good for the club and will allow for a better hunting experience.

Same with me ... Seen it multiple times.
One place I hunt only allows 4 wheelers for retrieval. The deer arent near as spooky there as the other place which allows them all the time.

[quote=2Dogs][color:#660000]If you hunt where they are used to seeing trucks, tractors, 4 wheelers and such I don't think it's a big deal. [/color]


this. Our deer are use to trucks all the time. me and my son ride his dunebuggy alot and they just look at us.lol

I let my cuz and a very few friends ride their 4 wheelers on my place during off season. I am only up there a small fraction of the year and prefer the deer to be used to some human presence. I don't believe a little riding bothers them that much.Last fall cuz sent me a phone pic of a decent 6 point he had a stare down with across the creek. He ended driving drove off with it chomping acorns as he drove off.

It all about threat level to deer. This usually comes from what time of the year it is.
I have seen nice bucks walk with the horses and cows while haying from the back of the truck. That same truck 2 months earlier during hunting season in the same pasture will cause said bucks high tailing it off the property!!

we allow summer riding of ATVs on all the main roads and anywhere on your area. I have an area that is too narrow to put a stand on that I made a ATV trail ride of sorts. It is far away from any of my hunting stands and next to the camp area so nobody is disturbed by it.

Ride ours during the Summer and when we plant. Other than getting a deer out of a bad spot, my Jeep is quiet and has a heater.

4 Wheelers do not bother anything as long as they are covered in human urine.They will actually attract deer and should be parked as close to your stand as possible.

The last club I was in allowed atv's at all hours. I prefer to park a ways from my stand and allow everything to settle down before stalking in to my stand. I very rarely go hunting and not see deer. I do agree that deer will look up when they hear a truck drive by but will haul butt when they hear a 4-wheeler coming. They know the difference. I'm in a new club this year and have no idea how the other members travel the club land, but I have a few areas already scouted out and know where I'll park to hunt those areas. The walk may be a bit long but I know it will increase my chances of seeing deer. Everybody has to do what's best for them. If it works, who cares?

I think this year we will do more walking unless someone goes towards the back..it would be a heck of a walk...but most places you can get to from the gate in 500yds or less

I have seen at least 20 deer this weekend riding my four wheeler around. Several of them, I rode right up to before they walked away. Few ran. The ones that ran were the ones when I stopped the four wheeler.

Let me know how many deer you see when you do that in 3 months

I see that many driving in and out of the woods every weekend. Truck or four wheeler.

Guess you're in the black belt then

I think it has affect but how much is hard to say. If its a place where riding takes place often I think they get somewhat used to it. I have rode up on deer several times and some were good bucks. I think many times if you don't get real close they will just sit still and let you go by. Where we hunt is mountain side and valleys and it can be difficult when you hear an atv to be for sure exactly where its coming from and other times you can't hear it until its right up on you. I think walking in is the best route but I'm not going to consistently walk a couple miles up and down mountains to hunt. Now flat ground I'm ok with a little bit more of a walk but mountains re a different story.