[2 the Plug]

my brother and I go back and forth on this topic from time to time so let's get some expert input please. Our grandma has a farm of about 400+ acres and 250-300 in CRP grass fields. Most farms around hers are corn or beans planted and harvested annually. Lots of great deer taken over the years but no 160 monsters, probably not even 150's but I have never been that great at scoring cam pics. Anyways, I enjoy plinking out there with just about any caliber and typically shoot there 5-10 times a year. I want to setup a 300-1000yd range on the eastern most part, tired of Busch wildlife limitations and can't afford BenchRest but we always argue about shooting driving the big game away... urban legend or likely fact?

What say you?

 

[rat]

It’s not going to scare anything away that will stay away IMO

 

[67Firebird]

My neighbor/friend and I shoot at least one day per week, and the main range we use is less than 100 yards from my deer blind. Deer still come through regularly, squirrels, rabbits, and birds get between us and the targets while we're shooting, and coyotes still come through every night. As long as there's down time in between, they'll adjust.

 

[flatlander_]

I have a neighbor that has a shooting range set up right across the fence from a 22 acre patch of CRP that I hunt. Deer and coyotes hang out in that patch all the time and the neighbor is an avid shooter that shoots weekly. High powers, hand guns, .22's, .45's. You name it he probably shoots it. Your deer will stay around.

 

[Mule]

Had to cease fire at the old Busch skeet field because deer decided to graze. At Ft Wood, demolition and screaming A-10'S don't seem to bother them. Its what ever they get used to.

 

[pinwheel]

Nope, not an issue.

 

[bverboy]

absolutely not:rockon::rockon::rockon::rockon::rockon::rockon::rockon:

 

[Chevy5282]

I’ve seen multiple deer grazing and passing by the newer Busch trap/skeet houses while shooting last year.

 

[remington2225]

I don’t know how many times I would be shooting and deer will come out in fields. I think as long as bullets don’t go close to them they think it’s thunder. In my opinion don’t bother them a bit.

 

[STTH]

Had to cease fire at the old Busch skeet field because deer decided to graze. At Ft Wood, demolition and screaming A-10'S don't seem to bother them. Its what ever they get used to.

At my uncles cabin there has been a shooting range as long as it has been there and there has been every kind of weapon from .22 to a .50 gattling gun fired off and have had to pause on occasion for deer to pass. Fire away.

 

[EZRA]

If that's the sanctuary I would try to ask a few of the farmers around there with lots of open space first, like a long waterway would be perfect, maybe pay the farmer a bit

 

[rcg]

Does it make them leave the country? No.

Does it alter their activity in the immediate vicinity at the time of the shooting? Yes.

I’m all for some occasional weekend plinking but it is god damn annoying to being trying to enjoy the world and sit quietly on a deerstand, work a long beard, or just enjoy the woods with the background sound of continuous gunfire for 12-18 hours a day 100 days plus a year.

 

[venatic]

When I was a member of Benchrest, you'd have to cease fire for wildlife on the shooting range.

 

[techteacher]

Does it make them leave the country? No.

Does it alter their activity in the immediate vicinity at the time of the shooting? Yes.

I'm all for some occasional weekend plinking but it is god damn annoying to being trying to enjoy the world and sit quietly on a deerstand, work a long beard, or just enjoy the woods with the background sound of continuous gunfire for 12-18 hours a day 100 days plus a year.

One of my farms borders a sporting clays and bird hunting club they shoot constanyly so it does not bother the deer around here. They will bird hunt all day then deer hunt that night and shoot some good deer. I shot a 170 a few years ago that lived in which shooting range with people around everyday.

 

[Mailman]

The deer on my place react to gun fire the same as they do to the noise my neighboring farmer makes 365 days a year...and at times its pretty loud. The deer might look in the direction of the noise if its loud enough but never run the opposite direction. I can throw rocks high enough to hit the A-10's that fly over my place daily and the deer never even look up from eating. If I shoot and hit a deer....yep they do have a reaction to that.

 

[Dafish]

Since the Op was talking about big deer and not just deer in general I think yoour average deer will hang around and maybe a big one, maybe. During the rut a big boy may wander into your area during the night, then when the shooting starts he may just leave the county...seen it happen a few times
outfitter next to where I hunt has a range on the hill set up too shoot out to 300 yards. One morning (this last season)from my stand i saw a big boy walk down into the plum thickets below the hill, never came out. That evening I was hoping he would head my way. About 3pm the outfitter started shooting. That big buck was doing a belly crawl, stood up enough to jump the fence and crawled over a hill about 200 yards from me, as soon as he was over the hill he took off running. I could still see him 1/2 mile away going over another hill....so yes, deer will hang around but maybe not the one you want to shoot.

I have bowhunted near the Range at Busch, deer do not even raise there heads, but most of the bigger deer are taken the furtherest distance from the range,

 

[Wingmaster78]

Attend major trap shoots at the World Shooting Complex at Sparta Illinois.
Many times deer are grazing straight in front of us outside the shot drop zone while we are competing. Doesn't bother them a bit.

 

[farmnhunt]

[ At Ft Wood, demolition and screaming A-10'S don't seem to bother them. Its what ever they get used to.[/QUOTE]

I've seen them go out in jeeps and run them off to start firing. Or just start on one end of the range and they get the message.

 

[Maddux]

I have deer in my yard almost every day. Lots of activity there. However, the normally the big boys dont like intrusion, hence they dont come into my yard. That being said I would think you could find an area on 400 acres that wouldn't hurt your hunting.

 

[oneshot 1]

Lead in the Head they never run.

oneshot

The Big Grin hides at the sight of a Long Gun.