The October Lull?

[SD51555]

Last time I pulled cams, I had deer in my plots all night long. I bet there wasn't a gap of more than 45 minutes from 9pm to 7am. These cams are all within 75 yards of my cabin, so there is a skew factor there. I don't run cams out in the woods or my destination plots, only around camp, and in my yard plots.

It's been a couple weeks now, and I'm fairly certain the larger woods around me has been turned upside down by the late comers showing up to check stands, run wheelers, shoot rifles, run dogs, blast grouse etc etc etc. I'm hoping to see my deer count double or triple because so many got pushed until they hit my place and no longer sensed the invasion.

 

[bwoods11]

No lull tonight , deer on camera BIGLy!!

 

[Mortenson]

No lull tonight , deer on camera BIGLy!!

Daylight or dark? I could've tried to sneak out for my first hunt tonight but instead decided to catch up on things like cutting the grass. Last year I had a big shooter buck all over a doe on my plot cams for a couple days (daytime) starting on my bro's bday which is 10/25. That's the earliest I think I've ever seen.

 

[3I0]

I have observed numerous times w/ bait out that deer sightings from cameras monitoring the bait plummet when the majority of leaves start falling off the trees, and then come back again in another week or two. I've always suspected the deer might be eating the freshly fallen leaves and not having to move around as much for food, then moving back in once they start rotting on the ground.... but don't have any direct evidence of it.

 

[bwoods11]

Daylight or dark? I could've tried to sneak out for my first hunt tonight but instead decided to catch up on things like cutting the grass. Last year I had a big shooter buck all over a doe on my plot cams for a couple days (daytime) starting on my bro's bday which is 10/25. That's the earliest I think I've ever seen.

Both

I’ve got cell cams in Mn, IA and Missouri. All had bucks moving before dark.

Nothing giant… 3 year old was biggest .

 

[SD51555]

I have observed numerous times w/ bait out that deer sightings from cameras monitoring the bait plummet when the majority of leaves start falling off the trees, and then come back again in another week or two. I've always suspected the deer might be eating the freshly fallen leaves and not having to move around as much for food, then moving back in once they start rotting on the ground.... but don't have any direct evidence of it.

That's not totally crazy. I had a sit a few years back where I watched a deer gobble up fallen maple leaves for quite a while, feet away from a clover/chicory/oat plot.

 

[H20fwler]

No real lull here except for not seeing any good bucks close yet.
All month I’ve been averaging 4-6 deer within bow range every sit, (30 yards or less). Have been very pleased with the number of does with twins, even had one with triplets last week.

I am in one of the lowest deer density counties in the state and would like to think it’s because of the habitat work we have done is why I now see deer so often and that they act so tame.
Used to see a couple deer a week and thought that was good before we bought our farms.
Bucks should start getting stirred up within a week or so in my area then I should see them up close.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I've had a lot of pics/videos over the past couple weeks of 2-4 bucks running together still. Just starting to to get some video of bucks with a little more serious angry posture towards each other with that slow and stiff strut (for lack of better terms). Go time is upon us.

I'm in the middle of a 10 day period where i couldn't hunt if I wanted to and it's been warmish with south winds (the worst direction for stands/access on my property) the entire time. So that's pretty awesome.

 

[yoderjac]

I have observed numerous times w/ bait out that deer sightings from cameras monitoring the bait plummet when the majority of leaves start falling off the trees, and then come back again in another week or two. I've always suspected the deer might be eating the freshly fallen leaves and not having to move around as much for food, then moving back in once they start rotting on the ground.... but don't have any direct evidence of it.

I've watched deer eating freshly fallen poplar leaves frequently.