Strategy talk III
 

If anyone could post up experiences, harvests or successful tactics used to hunt mature bucks, during the “October lull”. The time after the 1st few days of the “early season” and before the bucks start moseying around looking for does? Does anyone focus their attention elsewhere during this time period or do you still put forth an effort to tag a bruiser during this time?

RE: Strategy talk III
 

Honestly I just focus on shooting does during this time and try to stay as far away from known buck areas until 3rd week of October. I use this time to really pattern what the does are doing so I know what they will do when the bucks start to chase them. I certainly don't have a wall full of mature bucks but I know all the encounters I have had with larger bucks have been VERY early or 3rd week of Oct or later. I'm curious to know what others think though.........

RE: Strategy talk III
 

On rainy days I take advantage of the wet leaves by walking around and stalking some of the trails between food sources and bedding areas. Usually walk for a little bit and then sit behind a fallen tree or some brush.If the mature bucks aren't movin to find me, I will move to find them. One important thing is if you do spot one and there is no way to stalk in close enough. I will sit and wait for him to move instead of taking the chance of pushing him out of the area.

RE: Strategy talk III
 

I have shot one mature buck in this time frame. It was Oct. 17th, 2003. I was set up on an inside breakline with a few oakstrees present. I shot him at 9:22AM.

He was browsing down the breakline and stopping under the Oaks eating acorns.
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Not to exciting of a story I know :D

RE: Strategy talk III
 

I've seen 3 mature bucks in October in 15 years of bowhunting.. All were on either oak or persimmon.

RE: Strategy talk III
 

Watch the weather, if a front is coming go hunt as close to where you think he beds.

Don Higgins "Hunt where the deer our during daylight"

RE: Strategy talk III
 

Not to over simplify..But they are still out there in Oct.. They still have to eat and bed. It's not like they are in Cancun for the month.

Ok they are not on summer patterns and they are not seeking the ladies yet..but they are still livin life in the deer woods. Get out there andHUNT them.

If you think "lull" you may get careless ..think opportunity, and see what happens.

RE: Strategy talk III
 

Rybo:

Heck I don't know! Until the bucks get off the beans....it's MY theory that the ones HERE have altered their home range. I know they stay on the North side of the area I hunt during the late Fall and Winter months.....but the Summer and early Fall months have us on this side seeing some smaller bucks and lots of does.

I have trail cam photos of a couple of good bucks for my area.....but I've read where deer will travel in excess of 2 MILES in one evening to visit a mineral site.

Last year I saw a few more bucks in October than November....with my sightings getting more prevailant as the season progressed.

I'm patient. It'll happen.

RE: Strategy talk III
 

hunt rub lines in october? i guess thats what im gonna do

RE: Strategy talk III
 

I like playing around the corn fields this time of year. You just never know what's out there...

They're also doodling in scrapes/rubs in the next couple weeks. You never know when a good buck is gonna stand up a little early to go out for a bite and maybe freshen up his scrapes. Usually, these aren't your best rut-hunts anyway, so it won't hurt to burn them out. Field edges and such.

RE: Strategy talk III
 

Big bucks here (i'll say 4.5's and older) really don't leave their core areas for anything but sex and or too much snow outside of the rut during hunting season. Thats about all that will push them out. If they get bugged, they simply hole up and hold tight during daylight hours. Or move over a mountain until the intruders leave. Most old bucks do always come back though..here anyway. They seem to really like what they have in a core area and unless it gets clear cutted they hold tight..

Add in mid Oct and they really have NO reason to move much other than feed. They have all the feed they need right in their beddingspots or core area. so why move? Water is very plentiful in just about every draw by mid Oct.

I've killed one big buck (160 class) during mid Oct. I was positioned very close to where my brother had almost killed him a year earlier and where I had watched him come out and feed in the late evenings of July that summer. I hadnt seen him since July and had hunted him all of Sept. I gave his fringe core area that I had been hunting.....a rest for 15 days. I came back in and set up on his area on Oct 15th. I had two does and a young buck come by, I was stoked with that kind of bait passing through....once they passed way on, I used a social doe call and young buck grunt to mimic a little pre-rut activity. The big 6x6 showed himself to me for the first time since July and I have a feeling I was within 100-200 yards of where he was bedded, because he came to me on a completely different route than the does and young buck, once he picked up their scent he walked right in. He was bristled and liked what he smelled.

I rarely see the big mature bucks I am targeting during Mid Oct though.. Late October and early November it gets better they have more motives to move then, thats when they start exiting their bedding areas right before dark to do their scraping and scent checkingrounds of doe family groups.

Like the guys said above, cool fronts, near bedding areas and or near something that gives them a reason to be on thier feet during the daylight.

RE: Strategy talk III
 

In 21 years of hunting, I have never seen a mature buck on our farms this time of year. Now, in other parts of the state where food is not as plentiful, you can find them a bit more often by hunting oaks, etc. My trail cams and sits in observation stands are telling me that the mature bucks are 99.9% nocternal now. I feel that hunting them now is not just a waste of time, but could be terribly counterproductive by spooking them out. They learn real quick around here that being out in the light means trouble.

I still hunt some this time of year, just not that much. Certainly don't want to overhunt anything this time of year.

RE: Strategy talk III
 

Well see MI Rocks

In 23 years of hunting I have seen 3:D( 2 were in the last 2 seasons) Funny I watch that little buck for 3 hours and he never went more than 20 yds.

The big 8 I saw bedded down right in the Oak trees along the CRP, I thought about hunting there this year. I will be there next year for sure.

BTW I hunted 120 yds from were the big 8 was bedded down, I never saw him. I thought he might go eat some beans, but he did not. I knew I was screwed when i looked down and not 1 acorn was on the ground. I bet they are by my other stand[&:], I bet that is where he was.

RE: Strategy talk III
 

Actually that is incorrect. I should have said I have never seen a mature buck during legal shooting hours on our farms this time of year.