Do Atv scare away all the deer?? NO...

[darrell8937]

I have seen the question posted here as well as other sites and can say I see no evidence of this. I frequently see deer and moose from my wheeler. Hell I almost ran up a Mooses rear end this fall. Coming back from patridge hunting. I was doing about 20 mph when one jumped from the brush and ran just in front of me. He ran just in front of me for about 15 seconds and jumped into the woods... We even came accross a bear. This is rare. in daylight. it was rough terrain so he heard us probaly five minuites before we got to him. he seemed curious and just walked away casualy.

[markc]

I would agree that an atv doesn't scare away "all"  the deer IMO.  If they become accustomed to the atv, like a ranchers truck, they become less fearful of it.  However they seem to become accustomed to seeing it drive through, stop at a windmill or other ranch implement or facility, something that it does out of routine.  But, when it stops in the middle of the road near the deer, or something much out of the routine, they usually become a bit unnerved and head for the woods.  Do they stay gone?   Not forever, maybe even not for very long.   Now when they begin to see a big increase in the number of atv's driving the woods all of a sudden, you can bet that they will become more elusive due to the increased out of the ordinary, activity.  

But I still don't want an atv to come driving up to me while I am bow hunting, or anywhere near my tree stand while I'm in it.

[CEJ1895]

I know for a fact that they don't scare moose! I've had a bunch of them walk across the tote road in front of me while deer hunting in Linneus, Maine. Last year my hunting partner had a cow and calf block the road for 10 minutes before they decided to let him pass! CEJ...

[marylandeer]

I usually park my ATV about 100 yards from my tree stand. We made a clearcut in the center of the property and we park all our ATV's there. Then from there we go to our stands on foot. One morning this past rifle season I woke up late. I didn't have time to walk the 100 yards or it would have been daylight when I got to my stand. I like to be on stand an hour before the sun comes up and I stay in the stand untill dark. So anyways I said the hech with it and drove right to my tree. I threw a piece of camo burlap over it (didn't cover much). I saw 4 doe shortly after getting settled in, they passed by not 40 feet from the atv. Shortly before sunset I shot a big doe about 10 yards from the ATV. She walked right past it never even looked at it. I waited for her to clear the atv and shot her. Then a few minutes latter what I thought was another big doe (turned out a small buck) walked out same spot (bad mistake zapped him to).  

I know your probably talking about the the sound spooking them but just thought I'd tell my story.
No I don't think ATV's scare them at all, if your in a spot that is not remote. If there are roads near by or a few tractors in the area once in while. They think it's normal and just lay low until the sound goes away or past then go on about there business.
Now if you were in Alaska or somewhere that has not had any noise pollution you would probably run everything out for miles around. MY 2 CENTS.

[Sourdough]

I hunt from an ATV, never had a Moose or Caribou spook from one.

  The way I usually hunt Moose is to ride the trail early in the morning and late evening.  Moose will be feeding on the trail or walking the trail and I will come across them.  I ride to within 80 yards or so then get off.  DON'T SHUT OFF THE MACHINE!!!!!  Leave it ideling.  Get off and take the shot.  They will just stand there looking at you.    

For Caribou, the same thing.  I ride up into the hills early in the morning looking for a herd.  When I spot one, I ride as close as I can to them.  I have even rode right into the middle of some herds, without them spooking.  Sometimes a small band will get skittish so I get off leaving the machine running, and just setting there by itself.  I will crawl off down wind and circle out about 100 yards away.  The curiosity of the Caribou will get to them everytime.  They will approach to check out the ideling machine.  The big bulls will hang back, but will usually come within range.  I've had young bulls and cows come right up and sniff the machine.

When going to the bear bait station I ride right up to the barrels.  I cannot lift anything due to 4 herniated disk, so I back the machine up to the barrels and cut the bags open and let the dog food run into the barrel, off the back of the machine.  I park the machine right under my tree stand and cover it with a tarp.  I don't dare to park it 100 yards or so from the stand, if you do you are asking for trouble.  A bear will eat the seat and bite the tires for sure.  The bears ignore the machine under the tarp.  Of course the tarp is left there all the time so it is not new to them.  I leave it there when I put the bait in, and it stays there till I remove the bait.  When I first put the bait in I pour cooking oil over the tires at the highway, and drive in leaving a smelly trail to the bait station.  I recover the tires with oil as I leave, usually going out another way, leaving a second trail.  A few times when riding in small bears were on the bait.  They would not leave till I got off the machine and started yelling.  The noise from the machine had no effect on them at all.

[marylandeer]

Yea, I have never spooked them with my ATV either. I have been doing a lot of deer watching from my ATV for the past two off seasons. It's amazes me how they just stare at me and don't run off. I have actually drove past a few deer standing in the woods just off the trail while I was going pretty fast. After spotting them I will stop and back up and their still there. I get some really good pictures this way. Sometimes I will sit and watch them for 10 minutes, it's like their scared to move or something.
I figured it was do to the fact that the deer are used to the sound of the ATV's and don't associate them with danger. But if they don't spook off at the North Pole in Alaska then I guess the safe answer is definatley NO they do not scare wildlife.
Sourdough, I always wanted to hunt in Alaska but I don't think I could handle the temps. up there. That must be serious hunting. I'd amagine you must have to have some of the most extreme gear in the world just to survive a day in the woods.
I have a few q's for if you if don't mind.
What is the coldest tempature you have ever hunted in (roughly?)
What kind and caliber weapon do you mainly carry? For that matter just tell me some about the gear you use and the clothing you need please.

[Sourdough]

Marylandeer:  I use a Kawasaki 750 Brute Force, once we get to camp. to get there we use Nodwells, big track rigs.  The tracks are 48" across, with four 21 inch wheels (same as on Semi trucks) for boggie wheels on each side.  The nodwells have big engines, 454 Chevies, 460 Fords, or Detroit Diesels.  The bed on the one I drive is 8ft wide and 12 feet long, it's considered the baby.  Mikes big one has a bed 10 feet wide, and 16 feet long.  During the reguler Moose season the first of September the temp is usually shirtsleeve weather.  Mid to high 60s.  As the season progresses the temp starts to drop down to freezing.  Someyears it will be snowing when we leave after the third week of September, other years it will still be nice temp in the 50s.  Caribou and Dall sheep are hunted in August, temp sometimes in the 70s.  So its not that differant from there.  But that is here in the Interior.  Elsewhere the temp is a lot differant at that time of the year.  There is five differant geographical zones in Alaska.  The Interior where I live is the warmest during the summer (up to 90 deg) and the coldest during the winter (down in the minus 70s).  North Pole is 18 miles south of Fairbanks, on the Richardson highway.  When we go on winter hunts for Moose or Caribou things are a lot differant.  We then use Snow Machines, and the temp will range from the low 30s to 30 below.  If it gets colder we come home.  I wear a lot of wool, and the new synthetic fibers that wick away moisture.  During the winter hunt I always wear what we call Bunny Boots, they are made of rubber and are real thick and heavy.  They are lined with thick layers of felt inside the rubber, and sealed.  They will keep your feet warm down to 80 below, that's the coldest I have ever been out in.  I carry a 30-06 Handi Rifle during the winter when hunting wolves and varmits.  During the summer (we only have two seasons summer and winter) when we are likely to run into Grizzlies I carry a TCR in .338win mag.  If I am hunting down on the coast where I can run into a Brown Bear I carry a Ruger MK II in .338 Win Mag.  I don't like going there much the weather is always so nasty, rain, wind, and a humidity that bites to the bone.

[Sourdough]

Marylandeer:  In the spring when we are hunting bears the temp is usually in the teens at night and in the 40s during the day, in April.  As May progresses the temp will get up in the 50s and 60s during the day and down into the 30s and 40s at night.  We will start out with snow on the ground, but it melts fast at that time of the year.  By the end of bear season the end of may the mosquitos are out.  I run two bait stations up near the Yukon river.  The Kawasaki has the power and ground clearance to get in and out without too much trouble.  I have big tires on it.  But the winch still comes in handy at times.

[marylandeer]

Sourdough, that my friend is some SERIOUS HUNTING!!!! Thanks for info. I guess I could handle a spring bear hunt up there but the winter hunts uh uh. No way I could hang in those kind of temps. I would be an icecicle in about 20 minutes in anything below -10 degrees F.
Where I hunt (Maryland) the temps during deer season range on average from I guess 20-70. Every now and then up in the appalachian mountains of western maryland we can get temps slightly below zero. Let me tell you it's tough for me to wake up in a tent when it's -5. One morning my father brother and me did just that and I thought I was a dead man. All three of us just laid there shivering and tried not to die. Going out hunting was all we wanted to do when we went to bed but in the morning we weren't the least bit interested. That was the coldest air I have ever felt. I still remember the ice that was covering everything in the tent including the tent itself. I can't emagine a human heart pumping blood in -30 degrees let alone a gun going off or an engine running. More power to you man.
We don't have any Caribou, sheep, Moose, Elk, Brown bear, or Grizzlies in Maryland. We do have some Black bear but only in a very small portion of the state (Western mountains). However, Maryland is loaded with Whitetail deer and they are my passion.
I use a Yamaha Kodiak 450 4x4 to get me from the truck parked on the road to my hunting spot about 100 yards in. No need for a 454 Chevy powered super dump truck for that kind of hunting.
I shoot a Tikka t3 in .30-06
I always thought I would love to live in Alaska but now I'm thinking more on the lines of a summer home.     BE SAFE

[Sourdough]

Marylandeer:  I lived in Waldorf a few years ago.  I had a friend that had a tobacco farm next to the subdivision where we lived.  I helped him put up his tobacco that year so he invited me to deer hunt on his farm.  Got a nice whitetail from the back door of the tobacco barn.

[marylandeer]

I was born and lived on Andrews A.F.B. until I was about 9 years old. That’s just outside of Waldorf. I now reside about a 1/2 hour drive (north) from there. We do have some big deer; most of them are killed on the upper eastern shore. But there are some bruisers throughout the state except for the western most mountains. Up there they don't normally get very big bodies or racks. The deer numbers are very high in the mountains but the quality is low. Man sometimes up there you will see huge herds of deer but most are doe and you can't take doe up there. But on the eastern shore you may not see too many deer but when you do they are HEAVY and HEALTHY  Soy bean and corn fed. Check out this link.
We have some of the best waterfoul hunting you will find on the shore to.
 http://www.northamericanwhitetail.com/trophybucks/tr_0204marsh/

[darrell8937]

Had two moose this summer cross in front of my wheeler & a friends! they both just stared at us . we shut them down and watched them for quite some time. It got kinda boring after awhile. Started them up and reved the engines. They became even more intence. When we slowly drove toward them, they walked off. and disappered! It is amazing how they just disapper! Stoneham ME>

[robert4570]

Here in the Everglades they are accustomed to swamp buggies , airboats and 4 wheelers . I have all three and know that these deer in my woods aren't bothered at all , becuase for the most part they can put good bit of distance  you and them .
 They usually will border cypress strands in case they need cover but hardly ever run from you.

As long as the motor's cadance/ sounds remains consistent they(does) wont run, all they do is stand  and watch you drive by.
Now , shut that motor off and try to get off the buggy and you will see tails haulin' a$$ away from you.

Heck , deer are terrified of someone still huntin . That slow walkin rattles their nerves.