I've seen plenty of stampedes in the last two days! You gotta be quick and you gotta lead em just a little tiny bit and keep the gun swinging.....that is my ewperience with driving anyway. BTW........exojam.......the pushers have just as much of a chance as the sitters.......two of our pushers harvested deer they happened to "jump" while moving........just gotta be quick!
Just wanted to weigh in on the deer drive comments.
Very effective way to get meat in the freezer.
I have been hunting with the same 4-5 guys on the same properties in NY for more than 25 years. I've killed lots of deer in drives while pushing and sitting.
We push a lot of woodlots and smaller brush lots and pretty much know where the deer will go but get skunked and out smarted often as well.
Not to state the obvious, but for those who are new to hunting or have not done a lot of drives, especially in a small area, you really need to be aware of fields of fire, where the watchers are, where the drivers are (or should be) and when it is safe to shoot at a deer or when you may have to take a pass.
If you are hunting with people you don't know too well, don't be afraid to ask..."what happens if a deer comes out there and heads that way...?" etc...Things happen fast and sometimes you need to make decisions about when its safe to shoot and when you need to lay off. Again, we hunt some small lots and move a lot of deer. We encourage young or new hunters - "If you are not sure just let it go..." Not easy for a new hunter to hold fire on a buck but I've seen it happen on more than one occasion.
I have seen guys do some really scary stuff. (Not my usual crew) We once had a guy in the far hedgerow and a cousin on watch who shot at a running deer 5 times across an open field with a 180 degree arc causing the farthest guy in the hedge to literally dive for cover....I've seen watchers shoot directly into the drive with the drivers coming out saying "WTF, lead flying through the trees all around me". I have seen drivers take a shot at a jumped deer running right out of the drive toward where watchers are waiting. And I've also seen a teenage hunter hold fire on a nice buck because "he wasn't sure where the pusher was..." So not to preach - But have fun and be careful!
** And for those new to hunting....Drivers or pushers should go slow and quiet. Stop every 5-10 steps and look around. No need to bang on trees and bark like a dog! When I push I move like I am still hunting. But you need to have all pushers going about the same pace. Believe me, the deer know you are coming through. As a pusher you have as a good chance of shooting deer trying to sneak back through the drive or a deer standing still focused on the driver to your right or left.
A couple years ago I was pushing real slow through a small thick woodlot and it was snowing hard. I was moving real slow and quiet and covered by the light fluffy falling snow. I was standing looking around and spotted a buck slowly sneaking back through the drive coming right toward me. I was still, the wind was right and I was covered in snow. Shot him at about 12 yards and he never knew I was there...As a watcher, find a good spot with fields of fire and some cover to break up your outline. Be still and wait. The deer may come running by or, if the drivers are moving slow, they may be walking cautiously ahead of the drive. I posted a pic recently of my friends son who shot a big buck while he and I were on watch over a small lot. When he shot that deer I had 4 doe standing still right in front of me at 20 yards. They kept looking back for Bucky and the drivers. They knew exactly where the drivers were and they were in no hurry to leave the security of the woods into the open fields...Tell your walkers to go SLOW and you will have better shots at slower moving deer.
Our tradition is that we alternate who walks and sits with the thought that those sitting have better of odds of getting some shooting. If you have a tag filled you pretty much become a full time pusher. Guests (some) and elders get put in best watching spots. A youngster hunting on a doe tag with a buck hanging is a full time driver and gets tasked with pushing the thickest nastiest stuff. All good fun with now three generations of hunters joining in during the week.
Good luck and shoot straight.