In PA there is something known as the October lull. Deer activity then is much as you described it above.

I'm not a "buckmaster" by any means, but I've read my share of articles by successful hunters and they all have one thing in common for situations like yours. Get as close as you can to their bedding area without disturbing it.

This assumes you're hunting whitetails....anything else and I can't comment.

They say the key is to get on stand very early in an area where the deer move from their night feeding grounds to their beds. In the evening, sneak as quietly as possible to that travel route again and try to catch them returning to feed.

I've also heard that deer like to get up around mid-day and stretch, but that they'll often graze very near to their beds before they lay back down.