October Lull!

[kennym]

Better get ready (in MO at least), had a buck by at 10 yds this morning, pretty good 8, and he worked a scrape a bit before leaving. Right at sun up and he had a way to go yet before hiding out....

[Terry Green]

Bout 23 years ago I was bowhunting the evening of October 17th....

killed 2 bucsk and a doe in 13 minutes.......7:00 - 7:06 & 7:13

We even kill a lot of them in September. ..sumer pattern is great.

[Justin Falon]

Gene wensel mentions the chlorophyll content in the fall's leaves as being a possible explanation for October lull.  Ryan thank u for hammering home the point that bucks simply aren't active yet.

[centaur]

I know they are there…I know they are. But, they sure are hiding well right now. Come on, rut!

[jonsimoneau]

I agree with Ryan 100 percent.  The lull is real and I don't believe hunting pressure has anything to do with it although I do believe it may slightly enhance it. For the last 10 years I've lived next to a nature preserve that has never allowed any type of hunting. It's loaded with deer. Flat woodlots surrounded by huge Ag fields. I drive around it nearly daily just to watch deer. Every year about the first few days in October deer sightings in fields almost cease. Also I know where the main bedding area there is and at this time you rarely see any deer at all in the morning making it back to bed. They are already there. Last light is the only time I occasionally see a deer rising from its bed during the lull time of year. I used to think the lull was caused entirely by hunting pressure but 10 years of observing them in a completely non-hunted area has lead me to believe it happens no matter what.

[jonsimoneau]

Also there are guys who have become quite good at taking the biggest buck in their area during the "lull" period. But this is normally in areas where land access is tightly controlled and often with the use of food plots. I'm not talking about nice bucks. I'm talking about the biggest buck in the area. It can be done as we see it happen every year by some of these guys but it's going to take more of a plan than "Oh,I've got the day off, I think I'll go hunt that new stand I hung this spring". I still hunt as much as I can in October simply because if I don't then I won't get much deer hunting in at all. I also killed my buck in my avitar in October but it was early October before the lull and it was a very unique situation and frankly I got pretty lucky!

[DaveT1963]

I think it has more to do with the bucks sticking to a very tight core range as they go through the changes that will prepare them for the rut.  A lot is happening inside that buck with increasing hormones, muscle development and I am sure brain chemicals.  I think the older bucks just tend to stay to a very small core area and prepare themselves for a very vigorous two months of rutting.  Kind of like a lot of fighters do right before a big fight - they isolate and get prepared.  Perhaps I am wrong but I've seen it take place even on a farm where I was the only bowhunter and there was no pressure.  And I don't think it has anything to do with food, acorns or anything else other then the bigger bucks just isolate and separate - it is also when bachelor groups break up and bedding areas may change- not a coincidence.

[Justin Falon]

Saw the first bucks cruising this morning with a doe. Two bucks about 115" right by my stand. They seemed quite confused honestly. It was about 7:33 am or so. Not a clue in the world what was going on as the doe led them down the path.

Just checked my camera. Nothing.

Jon those are some interesting observations by your place!!!

[Terry Green]

Three days ago Charlie and I had run ins with the 2 biggest bucks we've seen while hunting KennyMs.  Funny, we've been hunting there for years and both saw our biggest bucks there on the same night.