Hunting near highways/interstates

[deerhunter93]

Jumping on the property questions.

What are your thoughts of hunting properties that are directly next to major highways or interstates? Have you had success in these situations in harvesting older bucks or do the highways/interstates seem to keep the overall age structure of the deer lower due to the probability of getting hit by a vehicle going way up?

If you see a correlation between major roads and deer collisions (specifically fewer older bucks), what is the closest distance you would hunt to it? Also, does the noise from the road play into your decision or is it a factor during the hunt?

 

[MuddyHntr]

Personal experience is that the overall age structure is relatively low but with every herd there's a few that make it through. Growing up in a small town and having a large family farm on a busy road people always informed me what and where they saw it as they were driving by.

 

[sep0667]

There are a couple properties I shed hunt that are directly next to interstate or very busy roads. I have found some very nice sheds. I almost think the very busy roads act more as a barrier or fence and they do not cross it all that much. Maybe the younger deer get hit but at a certain point I think they learn adapt to just not cross. And as for hunting it I think it would be great cover noise. Are used to hunt some public land that had a railroad track going through and in the morning walking him a few times a train went by and it was great for getting in


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[Ishi]

I wouldn’t let either of those conditions stop me from hunting if I felt like they could produce a good buck.
Every year between Newton and Grinnell exits on I 80 I see some dandy’s.

 

[Wi transplant]

I grew up on a farm bordering an interstate and had good success hunting but was my younger years and was not real picky on age and size but one fact i can give you was from the south on ramp n exit to the north exit n on ramp it was approx 4 miles and a friend of family was in charge of removing car kills on the interstate and in one yr january to January he kept track of them = 31 total with 19 bucks !!!!!! Now that was all bucks . button to mature so you draw your own conclusions!!!!!

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[JNRBRONC]

I know a story of a buck that got an arrow, jumped onto I80, to get hit by a car. Scored like 185. Woman that hit it didn’t want it, friend of the guy who arrowed also hit it and claimed it. City deer.


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[Daver]

My experience is that deer will be killed at a much higher rate when they spend nearly all of their time close to a heavily traveled highway. But a two lane blacktop can be as dangerous to them as any interstate. Now then, I can also think of one spot that had as it's eastern border a very busy section of I380. I very rarely saw dead deer in that area...as the main travel patterns were out of that timber and then to the west and north...away from the traffic.

So the real key is whether or not the deer cross the road to get to food, etc. If they are close to it, but don't need to cross it much, then you are golden.

 

[bigbuckhunter88]

I would say it probably does keep the age structure lower, but we've all seen or heard about giants being hit by cars. One of my favorite stands was in an awesome pinch point 50 yards off a gravel road. Less traffic, but the cars were going slow and would stop often which would make the deer spook or change their direction of travel. The plus side of a highway or interstate would be less of that and the deer being used to the constant traffic. Also the noise of the road made for good noise cover getting in or out, but made less than ideal sitting conditions

 

[mplane72]

I used to hunt a place right on I-80. Hunting was great. I killed some good bucks and was always chasing a couple pigs. I really think it just depends on the property. If everything else is good the highways not going to ruin it but it could complicate it.

I rarely ever saw a deer try to cross the interstate where I hunted. There was a rial road underpass on one edge and the deer used that to go from one side to the other. It was a great pinch point but no tree nearby that would hold a stand. I would also often see them use the ditch as cover to travel parallel to the interstate.

The back ground noise made entering, exiting and stalking nice. It also made relaxing and hearing anything from the stand impossible.

 

[Sligh1]

HUNTING on land bordering it- id do it all day long. If u could find a big buck- using highway to advantage in many ways (like above. Wind, entrance, a barrier to pinch or hunt parallel trails, ease of in/out, etc) is huge!!!!

Owning next to it- I personally would not. My buddies that do- it sucks seeing some of their best bucks become road pizza. Beyond that- we buy land for “relaxation” & I couldn’t deal with non stop noise & traffic. That’s just me though. Resale will be hindered to some degree as well (could go other direction though if developmental angle ever came about)

As far as killing big deer though- if they aren’t turned to bumper burgers or issues with people, poaching, etc - be great way kill one.