Ron, went to Big Woods tonight and saw 2 does. I'm sure the Big boys were laughing at me as I walked around them in cornfield to the stand <img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle>..... Cut the corn!!! Kidding of course.. <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

At least I saw something tonight although they never came in range. I'll try again Saturday!!

Any day spent huntin, is better than any day spent workin,,

Duckmastor2

duckmaster...have u tagged a doe???

My last time out was last thursday. I took my son with me. We got a late start and ended up running into deer on our way out. 7 deer in all. With the evening light becoming shorterand shorter makes it hard to get out after work. This time of year I do alot of surf fishing. This weekend is a tourney on the De. coast. My next time hunting will hopefully be sometime next week. One good thing, the area I hunt, there might be 1 or 2 more people that hunt it. But the area is over 1000 acres. So the deer will be relaxed and not spooky when I get back too it. Sounds nice anyway

AllenC

Went last night trying to beat the convergance of the tropical storms (aka rain). Saw about a dozen deer in all. There was a ton of whooping and yelling on the neighboring property so I assume they got one. Except for the high winds, it may be good Saturday!

6ptsika, I'm familiar with the October lull as written up by Greg Miller..have you found his observations to be true in DE/MD?

lemond, you you may be missing a grand opportunity at those big boys...they are now displaced...bedding area is destroyed...watch a cut corn field...the heaviest use will come within the next few weeks after the field is cut!!!

Ron, Keep the sighting reports coming....it gives us great incentives to keep at it! Matter of fact, think I'll stalk through a corn field or two come Saturday midday...wet weather, high winds, brown corn...have had great luck under similar situations in the past!!!!

I do believe in the october lull, I sure spend any vacation the first couple days of the season, and then during Nov. Sure seems like there's more big bucks killed in any one week od Nov, then in all of Oct, at least in my club. And that's a club with a lot of serious guys who sit all day, any day, they have off from work. Seems the deer have to move less, with the mast in the woods, but I guess no one has a true scientific proof why it happens. Or it could be we see a lot of deer movement early, before the deer realize they're pressured, and then a lot of activity due to the rut, who knows? Maybe Oct is just the normal activity of hunted deer, outside the rut, and before gun season.
Or maybe it's what I tell myself when I spend half the month sloshing through the marsh getting eaten by misquitoes chasing sika during their rut. <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>
Have your experiences shown the middle two weeks of Oct are the worst time during all bow season, like mine have?


&quot;In heaven, even the fish have antlers&quot;

sika, In recent years, I have found October difficult to hunt, but I attributed it more to the formation and extension of early Muzzleloader seasons. However, if you wait around at the check stations those ML weeks (DE and MD), some mighty fine bucks are hitting the gound. Prior to long ML seasons, I saw no significant changes in deer movement..in fact, I killed my largest bodied buck in October of '89, a 205 pound bruiser out checking scrapes at first light. The deer movement seems to shift to more Am activity, but I still see some good bucks. I checked my logbooks and confirmed I saw good buck during mid-October of the last 7 years!

I guess I never believe there isn't some glimmer of hope I might see a good buck. I don't look at moon charts, rut predictors, ect. It keeps me out there! Now if I hunted sika, I'd want to partake in the little elk's Rutting season and look for any excuse to do so!!!<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

I have observed that there is an October Lull too, but it doesn't mean you can't kill a buck. In fact, in 23 seasons, I've only killed 3 bucks in November, about 25 others have been taken in October. Part of that is because I pass up a lot of bucks in Novemebr waiting for that monster, but I have killed a few big ones in October too. When the hunting does get very tough, I work on hunting doe groups to pin down a few good spots for the upcoming rut, and take a few baldies for the freezer.

I think the &quot;Lull&quot; has a lot to do with the sudden influx of human scent in the woods from all types of activity, and the abundant food sources. This year could be especially bad because it seems the mast crop is going to be a good one. In my area, deer bed in very dense laurel thickets that also have oaks growing in them. They don't have to travel far to find food, and usually don't.



Edited by - NJ_Bowhntr on 09/26/2002 12:36:16

No Lemond, I havent tagged my doe yet. Saw 1 opening day just out of
range and 2 yesterday that never got close. Saturday is the opener in NJ. I havent scouted much there though so unless my retired father finds some good spots in out of the way places, i'll probably just stick to DE. I don't think its right hunting someplace that hasnt been scouted out good.

6pt, I havent had the chance to hunt deer in DE much in October. October is usually spent waterfowl hunting or deer hunting NJ. I'll tell you what though, the past couple years in NJ the bucks have really started pre rutting up where i hunt from mid Oct on. This is despite the warm weather we've had the past 2 Falls. Get one evening where the temp drops into the 50s before sundown and the deer are moving!! By the 3rd week in Oct, Deer hunting pressure really drops off too. Alot of people are in the meadows trying to shoot ducks.



Any day spent huntin, is better than any day spent workin,,

Duckmastor2

guys, i will let u in on a little secret from last year. one of the best days that i had last year for seeing deer was....the opening day of small game...o my god. the story that i have is so long that i do not have time to write it. i had a car accident this evening and when i feel better i will out in print. it was a very good day though

In a car accident and it was a good day?????? I guess it could have been worse ///