Are ATVs BAD for Deer Hunting?!

We LOVE our ATVs for work and play, but how do they affect the hunt? Here is the breakdown for how you can be a better hunter when you learn to take the ATV out of the hunt…

*Check out a Packermaxx to help you get your deer hunting chores done!

https://packermaxx.com/collections/cultipackers
Code WHS50

*All 19 of our 2024 WHS Pure Wildlife Blends are available for purchase right now! Check out our seed blend website….

https://www.purewildlifeblends.com/

*Would you like to make sure that you create the perfect quiet and stealthy access on your land? Then you should check out my books, seed, hunting and habitat design web classes, podcasts and hundreds of deer strategy articles:

https://www.whitetailhabitatsolutions.com/store


I think it's important to discuss The Good the Bad and the Ugly when it comes To ATV use for deer hunting and you know We love our ATVs but uh how good are They for uh actually deer hunting and That's that's the big question I've Talked about for years ATV spoke deer And before you just turn this let me Reason with you and talk to you about it I know you just Justified the purchase Of that ATV or side by side to your Significant other and said we have to Have for deer hunting this is going to Make life easier and uh to help me shoot More deer and please can I buy it and I Know you just Justified that and I think That's where a lot of this Falls you Know people they don't want uh their Spouse to hear this talk right here and Say you know this big giant and I've Seen it where up Michigan people are Going up there and they're using their ATVs uh to hunt with and get into their Blinds on public land and they're Wheeling down the road just you can hear That ATV from 3 mil away in the flat Land up there maybe even more and soak Can the deer and then they're driving That in and then they're walking 200 Yards into their blind and that's the Only time they use the ATV all year Other than maybe getting to that blind And working on it um but they got to Have that where if they drove their

Pickup truck In and you just had that gas pickup Truck you could sneak right in turn it Off the deer never even know that you Came in um Jen and I were driving around Last night with with Jack and we driv Driving down our dirt road by the house And we're driving driving down the road And we see a pile of deer come off the Field and run across and go down to Their cover they had out they'd come out Of that cover cross the dirt road by Some houses and got up in that field we We were using the ATV and the side by Side this one right here and we're we're Going out no lights on it was you know Before uh before dark and those things Are running away and guarantee you Because of the ATV if we had the pickup Truck we could have drove right up Beside him and looked at them they don't Like the ATV noise now we use ours we Are on this land with that machine we Had our old Blue Ranger we have a Caboto With tracks on it and we use those Machines a lot on the land uh we're out On the property I would say 50% of days At least in the offseason on our land so H over half of all days and some of That's just going for cruises and rides But we cut timber on the property for Bedding areas we have to have all these Access Trails so we're cutting Timber on The access trails to actually be able to

Use access Trails we're changing trail Cam batteries we're setting out new Trail cameras we're moving stands around We're filling water holes we're seating We have so much that we do on the Property I could list I mean look at our Monthly deer chores and that kind of Gives you an example of what we're doing The side by side is critical we all know It's a good thing side by side you can See my chainsaw it's right up on the Side up there I have a chainsaw press They call it we we put it on the side of The ATV so we always have it we need it So often however when it comes to deer Hunting they can be terrible I've even Had some guides over here in Buffalo County I had one guide say well you know We've had uh clients that have shot Boot And crack bucks using the ATV so they Must be good we always use ATVs but what They don't tell you when around on our Small parcel right here and when we go To client properties I expect you if you Hunt like we talk about you manage your Property like we talk about you should Shoot 80% of the target bock in the area This expands out a mile you should shoot 80% of those bucks over a 10year period That's the percentage of success that I Demand on my own property for ourselves For my clients those guides in a lot of Areas Buffalo County if you're hitting 20 25% success rate with your clients

You're doing really good and a lot of Times it's a lot less than that so they Demand 20% success ESS 25 I demand 80 And typically I'm demanding 100% with That first tag and then that second tag I'm using half the time so I'm demanding 150% success rate for myself for Jen That's the success rate that we demand At least that one tag and then another One on our Target box our top three or Four bucks we want to take them out I Apologize for cutting in the video I'll Try to keep this 20 seconds or less but We're thinking about planting and so is Lincoln at Packer Max and right now he Doesn't offer very many deals it's $50 Off check out the code whhs 50 it's in The link in the description try them Great product check it out you won't be Sorry the point is is we demand a highle Success and that's what I want for you On this channel you know I don't want You to say well we just show up and deer Hunt we really don't care what we shoot This isn't part participation trophy Time this is we want success success we Can actually measure so when it comes to ATV they don't get used to the ATV Doe's Fawns lesser deer they get used to it They walk they they stand there you Drive by they get up they watch you Drive by what you don't know is the Oldest buck in the neighborhood whether It was a three-year-old or a 5-year-old

Or a six-year-old they're gone before You even get close to where those Doe's And fawns are they're gone they're just Running away when we watched those those Deer running uh yesterday those deer Were approximately 3 to 400 yard away When they're running from us and we were On a dirt road yeah they quote get used To it they get used to it and when deer Get used to you this is entire another Entirely another video it's not they're Getting used to they're patterning you There's a big difference those do and Fawns when you drive by in the ATV as Soon as you stop they run they've Patterned you to know that you're going To just keep driving by now mature Buck Who has a lot uh lower tolerance level For that kind of behavior he's gone Already but even the deer that get quote Used to you are just patterning you and They know that you're going to continue On no different than if you're bouncing A ball in the backyard in a subdivision Setting and there's a giant buck in There that's only bet at 100 yards away Because that's the cover he has the bed In they'll get used to that noise over There they'll get used to you getting in And out of the car they getting used you Mowing your lawn making noise around the House but as soon as that noise Transfers into the woods they're gone Not they got used to you they patterned

You and then they know your patterns Aren't coming into the woods at that Point there's a big difference and that Applies to ATVs now for some of you There's a lot of properties we go to That you know around here in this Hill Country maybe your cabin's here your Property is a mile out you have to go Through some swampy area and then you Get out to your Woods well not everyone Can go walk two miles to their blind Every day or not everyone can go up These Bluffs around here you know There's some of my stands when I shot my Buck in Wisconsin this year that was a 400t change in elevation and a 40-minute Walk in and I had to take several breaks You know that's common when we go into a Stand it's uphill every single step not Everyone can take so then I and not Everyone can walk in so what I really Encourage you to do and you can kind of See these Bluffs back here I mean you See we're we're going down I mean this This Trail right here just continues to Go down so again not everyone can do That take your ATV what I've encouraged With client properties will go up to a Stepping spot so let's say you can Imagine this Hillside right over there We're dropping down 100 ft in elevation Over the next 100 yards so if you had a Parking area down there with your ATV You park it there and then you walk up

Here to hunt get up on these ridges and Then you're building the bedding areas On the back side that's a way that you Can reduce the effect and the negative Ity of the stress of hunting and you Still can enjoy the hunt because if you Can't get up on the property or walk Back 2 miles it's not very enjoyable Maybe you don't Round the Corner around A Big Cedar Swamp you park your machine Have a parking are and then you walk Into your stand locations the fear is Always that you know deer can hear these ATVs coming from a mile away so they Hear that ATV we had a property in Wisconsin where we hunted and we still Do and when the people hunted the land That hunt now they would fire up their Machine at their house they had to drive A half mile before they got on the land We're sitting on the other land waiting In our stands already CU they're coming In at first light we're already out in Our stand locations we would have their Entire deer herd that was on the land That we hunt now run onto the property Right in our laps and they hadn't even Entered the property with their machines The deer just got used to it they Patterned them they knew that when that ATV started and they started going down The road they needed to clear off the Property because it only takes three or Four times two times where they hear

This then they see you the next time They hear it then they see you again by The third time they're gone so you don't See them that's because they pattern you We love our ATVs we use them for work And play on the property and that's Another uh another Point too is that you Know in the offseason you don't it Doesn't matter what you do what a shame That people stay off their land all year CU they think that's better and then They over pressure their food sources or Blinds or stands have a poor hunt and The one time of year that it should be The most the most of a sanctuary is During hunting season and their pressure In their land the most at that time People need to flip it enjoy your Property in the offseason ATVs can be a Part of that we couldn't do our job we Couldn't do our career we love our Passion without these machines that's Why we have tracks on them even on a Somewhat dry day like this if we get Into any mud if we have wheels we're not Getting back up this hill if there's any Kind of slick train let alone half inch Of wet snow we're not getting back up This hill let alone we might be sliding Pretty dangerously down without those Tracks so we have tracks on both Machines right now when it dries up a Little more we'll take them off the Cabota for spraying and turning but even

Then we can't come back here and spray When it's wet a little bit we have to Wait till dry periods and it's been dry For a little while to get down you can See all the trees that have been cut off This Hillside right here they're cut off Along here because we want sunlight Coming down into this road for one we Want to grow the seed that's in here and Our green traffic blend through pure Wildlife Blends we want that to grow on Here and we so we have to get sun to it There's nothing that is shade tolerant Meaning it'll grow great in total shade But we want to preserve this area in Here that's why we need to get sunlight Into it again we love our ATVs but rest Assured they're pattering you I don't Know anywhere where it's better to have The ATV and when you talk about farm Machinery how many times people say well Ask access my stand with a tractor and Get dropped off that's great in those Fence rows areas where they're used to Seeing tractors But not when you drive a quarter mile Back in the woods the deer aren't used To seeing your tractor there again it's Like the kid bouncing the basketball They're used to that used to the Tractor Out in the in the field but they're not Used to that sound going into their Bedroom and ATVs a lot of times anywhere They have a different purr to them

They're a lot louder the machines are a Lot louder those deer know you're coming Rest assured try to reduce the effects If you can in areas but never never Please don't look at it like boy these ATVs they're doing nothing the deer get Used to it again always remember they're Patterning you and when it comes to a Mature bu he's long gone ATVs are great Use them for work and fun when it comes To Deer Hunter hunting the more you can Take the ATV out of the deer Hunt and the noise the stress that it Causes deer the higher success level You'll find each and every deer season

error: Content is protected !!