Hunting during October Lull can be challenging. Nonetheless, with smart hunting strategies you may be able to bag an older buck during this transition period.
Deer movement changes significantly at this time of the year due to hunting pressure, weather fluctuations, habitat modifications and herd dynamics.
Hunting Pressure
The October Lull is often misattributed to an abrupt decrease in deer movement as we progress into October. While this does appear to occur, it really has more to do with hunting pressure than anything else; since opening day hunters have been targeting deer locations primarily, deer are starting to realize they are being hunted, altering their usual patterns by changing travel routes between food sources, bedding areas and their core buck territories.
As soon as a buck knows they are being hunted, their travel habits change drastically and some areas may even be completely avoided altogether – this explains why so many hunters find it challenging to score mature bucks this time of year.
Utilizing effective deer hunting strategies and tree stand placement can make October an excellent opportunity to score mature whitetails. By keeping hunting pressure low and taking advantage of food transition from late summer to fall foods, October’s low hunter pressure can become your greatest chance at success this season.
One effective strategy during October lull is locating and targeting acorns. Their availability can have a dramatic effect on deer movement patterns; by finding trees producing these fruits you can open up hunting opportunities that could yield exceptional hunting success.
As well, during the October lull it is wise to be aggressive around cold fronts; they’re most likely the time when bucks begin emerging from their nighttime patterns and checking scrapes and feeding in daylight hours. Don’t allow October’s slow season prevent you from hunting that big bruiser buck you have been hunting all summer – be smart about it by only making moves when there is sufficient reward.
Bottom line, October lull can be detrimental to your hunting season if you fail to adapt and adjust. But with some smart tactics and hard scouting on property you could turn October into your hunting advantage!
Weather
The October lull is a period during deer season where bucks seem to vanish into thin air, forcing many hunters to abandon their efforts at catching and killing mature deer; food plots and trails that once produced bucks during summer become frozen over, rendering these once-productive areas ineffective at producing mature bucks.
This can often be explained by several factors. Hunting pressure has increased, crops have been harvested and acorns have begun to fall – all altering whitetail diet. Furthermore, cooler temperatures can alter deer movement and behavior patterns.
A strong mast crop means more acorns will be available within an area and deer won’t need to travel as far in search of food, making the lull easier than in years with low mast crops or few acorns available for consumption. Acorns provide deer with their primary food source during this period and hunting areas with plenty of them can provide great opportunities to find and target mature bucks during this season’s lull period.
As the rut nears, bucks’ activity levels will spike again. They will spend more time searching for estrous does and you may witness bachelor groups roaming through the woods searching for hot does. If you can locate such groups with bucks accompanying doe, your odds of success increase significantly.
Stay patient and continue scouting, hunting, and monitoring trail cams – this way the October Lull won’t seem so bad after all! As long as your strategy remains flexible and your effort remains strong enough, the October lull won’t be so noticeable; once adapted to it can even bring success during this part of the season. Have fun hunting deer this October season and don’t forget about sniping; some of the world’s greatest deer hunters excel at this skill. Good luck hunting this October lull won’t last forever…good luck hunting deer this October and don’t forget sniping; top deer hunters excel at it snipe skill when hunting deer in October and January/February/March/2005/2006 was so incontestable it made headlines/month/indish/fall out-of-season as opposed to just hunting the beginning/end/spring! And remember…snipe! Sniping! Sniping pro’s are great at it too… Good Luck hunting… And don’t forget sniping; its great deer hunters alike can easily succeed during October/March/season/good luck/sniping skills too ;/pc&sps all! good luck to all…good hunting seasons/fals! Good Luck hunting Season. Good Luck…! Good Luck hunting… and don’t forget sniping. Good luck with regard. Good luck (if anything) while good sniping will take place. Sniping… don’t forget snipeing… Good Luck… good snipe! Remember sniping is an integral part of deer hunters are skilled sniping too & more precisely with regard to make or lack there… Good sniping is part! Finally; Don’t forget snipe hunt on…. Don’n… And remember… and don’ snipe!… Don’t forget… sniping too… good luck!! snipe…… snipe…. And don’t forget sniping! Our best deer hunters out!! And remember the best!!… Good Luck………..!!!! Good Luck from all those amazing deer hunters world… sniping!! sniping!…….! The best deer hunt, right sniping (pun)….! don’t forget those experienced hunters in fact that’re pros have become great deer hunters like our world are great too sniping (don’t forget…! Don’t forget! SNIPE!!! Don’t forget sniping…! Keep those who may even more… sniping…….! (N)…. Don’s of course… sniping (c). Thanks snipe (!!) also…! You never forgetting too!!). Also…!!)…..) and (!) don’t have been). (!) (…!) (!)…..!). Don’s too…!)……..)!!) so)…………..!!!) too)…..)!…..)……..) are among)….!)!!)……)……n’) too…)….!…)!!) so far!!!) out…)…..)…….)…..!!!)…!…..! **)….!;t forget those! **)….!… don’t forget!…*** (…) out…..)…..Don’t forget them too…!) too…good Luck out…. And don’t forget too!! By now…. *** (*! By now….. *** PS)….
Habitat Changes
At the start of October lull deer hunting season, whitetail deer start to shift their habits. They become less interested in easy food sources they enjoyed over summertime; rather as days shorten they become more focused on buck movement and the pre-rut.
There are various factors contributing to changes in behavior, chief among them hunting pressure. All summer long deer were free to roam their natural habitat without interference from hunters; but once the weather changes and bugs die off hunters return in droves. Hikers, horseback riders and berry pickers join their herd and can have an enormous effect on movement patterns.
Crop harvests, which alter primary deer foods around hunting properties, may alter feeding and travel patterns of deer in that region. When fields are harvested and leaves fall off their trees, food sources become less accessible along with bedding areas and core ranges, forcing deer to alter their feeding and travel habits accordingly.
Food sources, weather and hunter activity changes play a part in shaping October lull periods; but so too does the approaching pre-rut. Whitetail bucks undergo drastic hormonal shifts as they focus on does. They transition from being crepuscular to spending their nights moving from food source to food source while competing for does’ attention by leaving rubs and scrapes at various food sources – creating even further disincentives to hunting activity during this period.
October lull hunting should not be treated as an excuse to give up, but as an opportunity. Hunters with proper strategy and effort can meet this challenge head on by employing tactics designed to reduce pressure while targeting areas that show promise for daily deer movement will have much higher odds at finding bucks during this period.
Deer hunters can utilize an effective patterning plan, carefully chosen stand locations and frequent midday speed-scouting to transform October lull into an opportunity for bagging mature bucks. By acknowledging there is an issue and making adjustments in hunting strategy accordingly to overcome it, deer hunters will quickly move ahead of their local herd and on their way to an early bow season buck.
Pre-Rut Activity
October Lull deer hunting season marks the transition from golden, early bow season harvests to the frenetic pre-rut most hunters remember fondly. States that feature classic lull bow seasons typically see harvests spike every Saturday during this period.
Though some may believe otherwise, October lull should not be seen as an excuse for giving up mature buck hunting altogether. Instead, use what knowledge you gained during a lengthy scouting season to take advantage of changes taking place around you and beat October lull with success!
As crops mature and harvest occurs, deer travel patterns change dramatically. No longer do buck head to clover fields in search of food; now they travel between oak groves with abundant acorn crops for sustenance.
Additionally, October brings its first night frosts which can alter deer behavior significantly. Deer are then known to move between their bedding areas in search of warmth – often becoming less visible to hunters as a result.
As the season advances and rut approaches, bucks will begin searching their environments for females in heat as well as food sources that won’t be negatively impacted by changing conditions; such as acorns, late ripening green foods, or berries.
Remind yourself that deer require at least five feedings each day during October’s lull, especially on parcels large or controlled enough to prevent hunting pressure affecting food sources. Daily feeding and bedding patterns should remain similar until a buck enters full pre-rut mode.
Bucks that have entered full pre-rut mode will likely respond to social grunts and bleats during October’s lull period, while loud or aggressive rattling should be avoided as this could drive your buck out of county altogether.