October Lull?

[matchset]

Saturday i saw a lot of deer movement! mostly does and little buck traffic tho; seems like the big boys are off their early season patterns...... anybody else experiencing this???

[cupper]

I hunt in SE MN and when I was down the last weekend in Sep., acorns were falling like raindrops and I saw A LOT of deer in the woods. I have never seen that much deer activity deep in the woods this early... usually they're still really working the fields. I have a feeling that with a great acorn crop and tons of ag crop damage from severe storms, the acorns could be very hot for the better part of the season. I think most guys who refer to the October lull are seeing when deer move from fields to acorns in october, but this year I think the acorns have been and will be hot for the majority of pre-rut. Just my .02.

[96trigger]

Have not seen a big buck yet. Lots of deer, just nothing with size.

[Bear55]

I think its safe to say the bucks are off any early season patterns and we might be experiencing a little bit of an early lull.

My theory on the "lull" is the deer are reacting to a combination of leaf drop and a big loss of cover they had experienced all summer, hunting pressure (bow, small game, duck, other), and the constantly changing food sources. I also suspect the big bucks know the "pre-season" will be heating up late Oct so they are resting up and focusing on filling their belly's without a lot of movement in between.

[JigginGopher]

Agree with Bear55. Also it has been warmer where I'm hunting than it was during the opening couple weeks which i believe makes a difference in the deer movement.

[slimngrizzly]

Ive seen more big bucks than I ever have this season! Ive had a 4 1/2 year old buck come out into the wide open 40 minutes before dark for 2 nights in a row over the past week. Ive never seen that the first week of October. Ive seen many of the bucks in my area still in bachelor groups too... I know the oncoming heat will shut down any action ive had though. Been a fun early season either way! Ill stay away till prerut now!

[SartellMN]

I have also seen the lull, but the scrapes are being hit, and the small bucks are cruising and pretending they are the kings of the forest. Give it a good cold snap for a few days and the big boys will wake up.

[harvey lee]

I think its safe to say the bucks are off any early season patterns and we might be experiencing a little bit of an early lull.

My theory on the "lull" is the deer are reacting to a combination of leaf drop and a big loss of cover they had experienced all summer, hunting pressure (bow, small game, duck, other), and the constantly changing food sources. I also suspect the big bucks know the "pre-season" will be heating up late Oct so they are resting up and focusing on filling their belly's without a lot of movement in between.

+1. In a few weeks and a little cold snap, those bigger bucks will be moving sometime during the day or night.

[Archerysniper]

Been seeing nothing put small buck on the stand and trail cams, end of oct can't come fast enough.

[archerystud]

+1. In a few weeks and a little cold snap, those bigger bucks will be moving sometime during the day or night.

Agreed. I was going to go out last night but it was a little too warm out. Sometimes I think less is more. Decided to save my spots for when the conditions are a little more on the optimal side.

[bottom-bouncer]

didnt hunt tonite decided I better mow the lawn since it hasnt been mowed in almost a month. When I finished I took the wheeler for a ride down a back road Its about four miles long I seen over 60 doe's and fawns plus 2 young bucks out in the picked beans and it was still light enough to shoot.

[96trigger]

Lots of does out last night, still no mature bucks, actually, no bucks at all for that matter. October lull? Definitely. Bucks will be few and far between now until the rut.

[harvey lee]

I am going to ND today for a few days. I was going to do a little hunting but with this heat, I am going to set up some stands and camera's and call it good.

Way to warm for any of the noicer bucks to move and its to hot to deal with a dead doe.

I can and will wait. Lots of good hunting to come soon.