General Hunting Discussion
October lull
I can't say I disagree with JC, I think he had good points. the reality is the deer are transitioning to different food and once the bucks shed that velvet their only goal is to live and breed.
Onc can speculate all they want but the reality is it's a change in patterns and depending on the amount of pressure will determine how good or bad it may be for you.
I know a guy that didn't hunt all year yet, first night was sunday and he saw 15 deer, 4 good bucks, no shots. Deer were moving great around him but that probably had a lot to do with no stepping foot on that ground since april.
I personally hate the term "october lull". If you are seeing a lull do something different. We had this conversation already. the guys hunting 40 acres that been hunting for 5 weeks now, i'd expect that its slow for you, that shouldn't be a news flash.
Right now the deer are on corn big time. I know there is a ton of fields up yet, that's the issue for many. Once the corn comes down sightings should go up. It's wet, I suspect many fields will be up through gun season this year. HOPEFULLY. LOL
"I disagree JC. It all depends on where you set up. If your not seeing bucks. Your in the wrong spot. Fields and field edges are not where you want to be. That is a big reason why people don't see deer during the "lull"."
Obvious people may be in the wrong spot if deer sightings are slow. However, I have found there is a lot going on in mid-October that decreases your odds. I don't care if it is a field edge or in the woods. You can set up anywhere, but if the bucks are not moving during daylight you are not going to be successful. You can negate this a bit by encroaching on bedding areas, but you are further pressuring animals to move at night....exacerbating the problem.
Some bucks that have been patterned start dispersing, and this is unpredictable...may end up miles away. I have found most bucks simply don't move as much during daylight, and don't move as far since there is an abundance of food...freshly fallen maple leaves at their feet, piles of acorns, thousands of acres of corn to hide and feed in, etc. As a result, more night time activity occurs, and movement becomes more unpredictable making it harder to pattern and see bucks. To me, I define that as a lull for hunting.
Why is it that most people kill the most bucks the first week of season and during the rut? Simple, they are patterened, dumb, and move during daylight early in the season. Late in the season, they are dumb, move more during daylight, and move more. I am just speaking from my decades of bowhunting that there is a reason people kill more bucks early and late in the season, and I call this the October lull.
There are tons of reasons for the "lull"
1. deer now know it's hunting season in many areas
2. food sources change
3. weather can be bad, and i agree warm days with winter coats forming mean less movement
like clockwork, early-mid october is tough hunting for me most years.
Sure there is a lull. Especially in public land because of all the morons.
Take Friday night for me for example. Get into the woods early at 2 and all set up before 230 on a small piece of public with a significant walk.
Listen to morons come into this small piece from 330 until finally at 5 see a brain surgeon walking around at 515. Decide my night is over and climb down.
October lull started on this parcel. Morons crowding spots will do that to the deer.
I have to disagree river chaser. There is no lull. People stop seeing deer for many reason and they have been mentioned down below. It has nothing to do with brain chemistry or rut behavior. Most people hunt the same few stands and the same land every weekend. A few weeks have gone by since the opener and deer have caught on. Add food source changes as well and you'll get some non active time on stand. There is no mystical lull. All myth. People need to learn to adapt and learn to follow the deer and they will be on them all year long.
