ridgewalker
Member
Ever shoot a big buck in the first three weeks of October?
Fields or Woods?
Mornings or Evenings?
Fields or Woods?
Mornings or Evenings?
OCT Lull
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Daver
PMA Member
Define big...
2 years ago right at the beginning of the archery season there was a real nice cold front that went through and that first evening that we hunted my younger son passed up multiple nice bucks and does in the first 90 minutes on stand then shot a 150"er.
That same evening, my older son should have had one about the same size but he blew the shot. He also could shot other smaller bucks and various does.
I was in a tree elsewhere on the farm and passed up several does and small bucks and then had a 125" 8 point stand underneath my stand for 10 minutes or so. I never released an arrow that night. But suffice to say...the deer were on the move big time.
I am looking at tomorrow and Saturday as a repeat of sorts. I am picking up my youngest son from his last class on Friday afternoon and we will be in a tree tomorrow and Saturday PM. I think I will just go ahead and try to film him as I would rather wait until the rut to get serious about a buck this year. But I have been known to change my mind while in the stand before!
Early October cool fronts = field edges and trails leading to food on evening patterns. I doubt we hunt the AM. I have also had success early in the season in past years by targeting acorn drop zones, again on an evening sit.
2 years ago right at the beginning of the archery season there was a real nice cold front that went through and that first evening that we hunted my younger son passed up multiple nice bucks and does in the first 90 minutes on stand then shot a 150"er.
That same evening, my older son should have had one about the same size but he blew the shot. He also could shot other smaller bucks and various does.
I was in a tree elsewhere on the farm and passed up several does and small bucks and then had a 125" 8 point stand underneath my stand for 10 minutes or so. I never released an arrow that night. But suffice to say...the deer were on the move big time.
I am looking at tomorrow and Saturday as a repeat of sorts. I am picking up my youngest son from his last class on Friday afternoon and we will be in a tree tomorrow and Saturday PM. I think I will just go ahead and try to film him as I would rather wait until the rut to get serious about a buck this year. But I have been known to change my mind while in the stand before!
Early October cool fronts = field edges and trails leading to food on evening patterns. I doubt we hunt the AM. I have also had success early in the season in past years by targeting acorn drop zones, again on an evening sit.
bigbuckhunter88
PMA Member
There's always a few 150 plus deer that get shot in the first week or so when a deer is still on its summer pattern. Also some big deer get shot during the early muzzleloader season. Seen a 160 get shot during EM 2 years ago when it was 80 degrees.
Jake_Schlotterback
Member
The earliest I've ever killed is November 11 but have seen plenty of big bucks in the weeks before. I prefer evening hunts but beings I work 2nd shift now I'll probably try and stay out of the stand until late October then hunt mainly mornings and mid day.
hoosierhunter
Active Member
Killed no, missed yes. I've had luck the 1st through the 10th encountering them. It's been in mornings in a specific stand off the field a qtr mile on their way to bed. Evenings it's been on field edges. Is say I average 1-2 sightings per season at that time. Last year was a freak show with 6 encounters with 5 bucks over 4.5. 3 offered shots. I missed my top buck over standing beans on Oct 4th. I passed a 5.5 year old on Oct 5th and a 4.5 year old on oct. 10th.
I killed my biggest buck on Oct 11 three years ago, grossed 176. He came out into a standing bean field about 20 minutes before dark. I had seen him in the same field four nights earlier when he came out an hour before dark. Both nights he was feeding heavily on the forage beans we had planted.
MNbuckhunter
Member
October 5th baby!
Nice buck! That's a heck of a hole...just curious what broadhead were you shooting?
ReinertsonTaxidermy
Well-Known Member
Some big bucks will go down tomorrow I guarantee it.
Gladiator
PMA Member
Rage in the cage...
Here's the video if you want to watch the hunt: http://www.outreachoutdoors.com/media/videos/deer/page/2/#!prettyPhoto
It's on the 2nd page of MEDIA>VIDEOS....top right called "Flyers"
Hardwood11
It is going to be a good fall!
I killed a buck last year in early October in MN, but it was not huge, it was an average rack, but a heavy deer
Evening going to the soybeans, after feeding in my clover/alfalfa plot
Evening going to the soybeans, after feeding in my clover/alfalfa plot
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Daver
PMA Member
FWIW, Friday and Saturday PM hunts over the past two days were anything but a lull! We saw a lot of deer both days and many nice bucks. Tonight my son and I split up and he saw for sure 4, possibly 5, bucks that were 4.5 years or older and all possible shooters. He lost track of the number of 1 and 2 year old bucks he saw too.
My hunt was a little less spectacular tonight though, but it had more to do with shifting winds and a neighbor with his chain saw, etc. I passed up a couple of fawns though and watched a mother woodchuck and her two kits eat brassicas all evening long.
October cold fronts can be excellent and the last couple of days proved that again to us, even though we did not shoot a deer, we had great movement and could have shot a number of deer if we so chose.
My hunt was a little less spectacular tonight though, but it had more to do with shifting winds and a neighbor with his chain saw, etc. I passed up a couple of fawns though and watched a mother woodchuck and her two kits eat brassicas all evening long.
October cold fronts can be excellent and the last couple of days proved that again to us, even though we did not shoot a deer, we had great movement and could have shot a number of deer if we so chose.
skyleralan
PMA Member
I agree both nights I saw double digit deer. Last night, I saw two bucks around 4 go across a CRP field. I had multiple 2-3 year olds in range and out eating in a food plot. I did hear what sounded like a couple decent bucks sparing on a timbered ridge behind me.
ReinertsonTaxidermy
Well-Known Member
No lull for me, saw double digit deer and passed a 145" 10 last night.
mightymouse
Member
"In the first three weeks" meaning October 1st through about the 20th or so will probably get a lot of "yes" answers. For the most part the 10 days or so of October it can be 'easy' to kill a big buck if you A) have a good buck feeding on your property and B) did your homework on him in September. Summer feeding patterns are usually pretty easy to figure out and often times bucks will stay on those patterns through early October. Learn the pattern, get the right conditions (right winds, cold front, etc) and you can get on the bucks.
If you were asking "On the third week" meaning about the 14-21st success stories may drop off a bit. That's when I feel like the 'October Lull' as we know it tends to kick in around our place. Seems like by then bucks have abandoned those free and easy summer feeding patterns (for any number of reasons; pressure, changing food sources, etc) and tend to lay low for a week or two as they await the start of the chasing and fun as late October arrives and the fun begins.
I definitely believe in the "Lull" but there is really nice window ahead of the lull to get a crack at bucks that may have not yet realized you are after them. Many people say they won't hit the woods until late October, I would suggest some low pressure, low impact hunts early and then take a few weeks off ahead of late October before hitting it hard during the rut.
My biggest buck came on October 2nd of last year. Hunted him on his summer feeding pattern. Passed him on the 1st because the shot angle wasn't good, shot him on the 2nd as he came back into the plot he was in the night before.
Earl E. November
Member
Yeah shorten the window to 10th through 23rd (approx) and the kills go down significantly.. Three best times to kill a big buck. 1 as MM says early season on summer feeding pattern. 2 early to mid Nov during the rut, and then again mid to late Dec "If" you have good snow and cold, as deer will be bunched and moving to feed early.. Worse time to kill one is setting on the couch watching TV or on a chair in front of a computer.