deer have ghosted...

[Ouchigan72]

All week mornings, midday, -n- evenings on different days I have been out, The deer have not been cooperating have only seen 1 doe that was out of range.The areas I am hunting has all sort of sign just not seeing the creators of said sign. Been hunting feeding areas close to bedding areas.Also beginning to think that since I'm hunting public land if the added pressure of others is effecting them.Having hunted public land  mostly I get ya have to locate spots that others don't wanna walk to or spots that are overlooked.Wondering what ya'll do when the deer go ghost like.

[3arrows]

Wait 1 more week.

[YosemiteSam]

Par for the course out here.  During off-season and the archery season, our deer are pretty mellow & easy to stalk.  Heck, before turkey season, when the deer are still down low, I can usually get 40-60 yards away with the wind at my back before they spook.  I snuck within 7 yards of 3 does during the archery opener (can't shoot them out here).  But the couple occasions I've gone out during the rifle season this year, it hasn't taken much at all to put them on high alert.  The slightest movement or gentle nudge of wind in the wrong direction puts them running out of there at 100+ yards out.  Mind you, I'm 1-3 miles from the nearest road.  It's like a different personality of deer.  I'm pretty sure the sound of gunfire changes things.

Last year, I think my buck just didn't get the memo and let me walk right by him at 30 yards (rifle hunting).  Calm & cool as a cucumber.  But that was a strangely fortunate event -- not the norm.  His careless genetics are now out of the gene pool.

What to do?  Stay home or keep trying.  It's impossible to be successful at hunting sitting at home.  Statistically, if you keep trying, you eventually get lucky.

[Ouchigan72]

figure things will be different once rut starts up. Just a lil  frustrating knowing the deer are there, but not seeing them.

[Michael Arnette]

It's the October lull...go carve a pumpkin and have a pumpkin spice latte LOL enjoy the fall and come back next week

[Friend]

May consider giving your hunting area and yourself a rest for at least a few days. Last week was ,by far, my worst hunting week three years a row.

[Ouchigan72]

Gonna try a spot tomorrow that's almost an hour walk from nearest parking lot.Gotta see if being further from where others are hunting helps.if no different then gonna give it a week break.

[Friend]

Some times you have to just give it a go.

No answer fits all circumstances.

Big bucks here have swollen necks, black and dripping hocks, chasing first esturs doe, grunting, lip curling and urinating on themselves. Last week's record heat wave yielded many zeroes. Today, was a total reversal.

After them again tomorrow.

[Ouchigan72]

Good luck tomorrow.

[beyondmyken]

I have not been able to hunt yet but my game camera last week showed a buck working a scrape at 7:30 am and multiple does throughout morning.  This is private land but just 100 yards from a county road.   It does not take much hunting pressure to alter deer movement

[TIM B]

Pulled a camera card a week ago and had 60 some night pics and 0 day pics.  Pulled another card last night and had day pics 2 mornings of 6 days.  The heat has been my bigest factor I believe....like said above, it should change soon...stay after them

[BenBow]

I just experienced the October lul last week. The game cam pictures showed bucks moving between 11 pm and 4 am and the does moved an hour after sunset to an hour before sunrise. This is the first time I've become aware of this because of the camera info. Now the rut is in full swing and they're moving at anytime during the day.

[BenBow]

Also the area I was hunting has mule deer as well as whitetails and both were affected. This guy came in to water at 2:22 AM
   

[Ouchigan72]

Well got out way before sunrise was raining slightly, but had quit by sun up.I sat out till around 10:30 - 11ish. Other than having a wren land on my bow that was across my knees Which was way cool.I didn't see anything. Hoping that on my days off next week the deer cooperate better. Not gonna get frustrated ...just going to keep on trying. Have a couple spots I haven't hit yet. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now -n- then.

[centaur]

Last couple of days here have been typical of the October lull, but not today. Saw about 10 bucks and twice as many does while out. No big boys just yet, but the deer were definitely active. The next couple of weeks will be interesting. Stand by for the coming fun!

[Friend]

10/20 – 11/5: NATION WIDE TYPICAL MATURE BUCK DARKNESS MOVEMENT

11/7 – 11/20: 70% OF MATURE BUCKS MOVEMENT DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS: LIKELY TIME TO SHOOT NEIGHBOR’S BUCK

[Warden609]

Originally posted by Friend:
10/20 – 11/5: NATION WIDE TYPICAL MATURE BUCK DARKNESS MOVEMENT

11/7 – 11/20: 70% OF MATURE BUCKS MOVEMENT DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS: LIKELY TIME TO SHOOT NEIGHBOR’S BUCK

Oustanding info for our neck of the woods.

I always chuckle at the term "October lull".  Deer do this every year. It's what they do. Good luck to all!!!

[Ouchigan72]

Then guess I shouldn't be to hard on myself....Looking like the best time to be in the woods is coming up.  

[George Vernon]

One factor surprises me each Fall, and that's how fast the food sources can change.  And the deer move quickly to the food.

This year there was a great crop of white oak acorns where I hunt, but they started falling in mid September and were basically gone by second week of October.  I saw deer almost any time of day under the white oaks when acorns were available.  But nothing when they were gone.

Soybeans and corn were picked early and winter wheat sown.  Some deer cleaned up the tailings and are now ankle deep in good pasture.

So I have picked some ground blind locations based on the availability of food.  I move between locations when the deer alter their travels.

During the rut, all the early season spots are back in play.