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October Lull

quackaholic

Junior Member
11
0
What's everyone's opinion on this subject?

Personally, I feel deer become more nocturnal as a result of temperature rather than hunting pressure.
Let me explain my theory. As temps in August and September are stagnantly hot daytime movement still seems to be common. As October nears daylight movement starts to dwindle, if not completely shuts down. I believe it is temperature differences between daylight and nighttime. For example when temps are in mid to upper 80s during the day and still hanging in humid 70s at night, deer comfort levels are virtually the same. As October temps drop more dramatically at night deer movement tends to change. I say this as I've been watching this happen on my trail cams, and also in personal observations on my community where there is no hunting pressure. Movement in both places changed at virtually the same time, when the cooler nights prevailed.
What are your thoughts?
 

Jake_C

Junior Member
I'd say it's probably a combination of many things. Honestly I haven't seen much of a decrease in movement where I'm at yet but I would say sky rocketing testosterone levels, temps changing, food sources changing and of course hunting pressure increasing with small game, fall turkey, archery and in other states, other seasons all coming open right around that October time frame all influence deer movement in a big way.
 

quackaholic

Junior Member
11
0
I think human activity in the woods from mid Sept on is more a culprit than anything.

Still yet how does that explain the same phenomenon happening where there is no human activity increase, as in the community I live in. It has a healthy population of deer, and no hunting. Small woodlpts so deer are visible in daylight all during the day. But once Oct rolls around they are seldom seen, except at night. The temp variance here between daylight summer and nighttime is only 10 degrees, whereas now it's 20-30 degrees differences.
Food sources come into play as far as patterns they use. But they still eat, but mostly at night now, as evidenced by trail cams.
 

Schu72

Well-Known Member
3,864
113
Streetsboro
I think its a transition period between summer and fall patterns. The deer aren't where hunters expect them to be so...."they aren't moving". They are moving....they are just somewhere else.
 

tpierce

Junior Member
I've only been in a stand once so far. But I've checked my cameras and the deer I have pics of are moving in the morning up to 8:30, and in the afternoon at about 6:30....At least in the vicinity of those cameras. I agree it's probably related more to human activity-placing stands, hunting small game , and people getting into stands for the past 3 weeks. It won't be long 'til hormones will throw caution to wind.
 

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
I say it's food related. Kinda like the difference between me standing in my garage talking or in the kitchen. When I'm in the kitchen around all the fresh food, I'm constantly browsing. Summer offers both food and cover in many places, so the deer are constantly in the kitchen. As the days continue to get shorter, that food is gonna get dryer and shitter to eat. This also explains the weight loss and gain with deer. Also explains why apples work so good this time of year, about the last chance for a tasty soft food. Pretty simple, I agree that on some lands hunters have an impact. But it's also part of the natural cycle.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Too many variables at play to say it's just this, or just that. It's a combo of shifting patterns as they relate to food, bedding, behavioural and travel. Combined, they make a mess of hunting deer in mid-October. Thankfully it's only a phase and it's about to get much better out there!
 
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Mao

Member
1,695
109
Coshocton, OH
I agree with what most have said, but I truly think the big boys get it figured out and keep their movements extremely minimal or in a place where they aren't hunted during daylight hours during this time. At least that has been my experience during the dog days of October. I try to go just enough to fight the itch off until November. As Jesse stated, it's just a phase and I can't wait until it ends!
 
I noticed as of last weekend that the deer in the area I hunt(western Coshocton county) very much changed their patterns from opening weekend until then. First weekend saw 15 deer in the food plots(clover,radishes, rape) and they were coming out EARLY. Second weekend they were using same pattern but wind shifted on us and they got out in a hurry.

Have not seen a deer in the plots during daylight hours since.

I think a lot of it, at least in our area, has to do with shifting to feeding on acorns. We could hear them dropping like crazy last weekend and our property is LOADED with oaks, so no need for them to travel as far from bedding, plus the fact that we spooked them once probably didn't help, but I'm pretty sure it has to do with changing food....

Won't take them long to scarf up a lot of the acorns though, and we are letting it rest until last week in Oct. That was when we saw our first good shooter last year during daylight, coming to a scrape in a food plot. Just gotta hurry up and wait....
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Acorns are one of the factors that contribute to the shift in sightings. My sit last weekend, I saw the numbers I'd expect to see in my food plots, but all deer were in the woods hitting acorns. Had I sat over my biggest food plot, I'd have seen 1 deer instead of 6. The stand I chose was more an observation set where I can see a decent amount of woods and a little field. They wanted acorns that evening and not fresh greens.
 

Blan37

Member
1,800
64
SW Ohio
Acorns are one of the factors that contribute to the shift in sightings. My sit last weekend, I saw the numbers I'd expect to see in my food plots, but all deer were in the woods hitting acorns. Had I sat over my biggest food plot, I'd have seen 1 deer instead of 6. The stand I chose was more an observation set where I can see a decent amount of woods and a little field. They wanted acorns that evening and not fresh greens.

That's kinda what happened at my place last weekend. I think a lot of acorns blew down with that wind / cold front that had just come through and the deer were all over it. I counted at least 7 deer browsing acorns but zero in the field.