Public Land Early October Strategies

[ridgerunner88]

What is your tactic for nabbing a deer right out the gate? 

I'm not looking for a slammer, be happy to just get the freezer filled with some meat... get the big boys later on during the rut... if that doesn't work out I will just go poach one from 4 Seasons. 

[BowmanMike]

The usual,find food. In early season that can be an adjacent hayfield or crops. If your stateland doesn't border any of that I would look for acorns. White oaks are preferred but I don't have many around my area but the deer are definetely hitting the red oak acorns already.

[G-Man]

Right now apples are huge draw. And clover fields.. preseason scouting should of told you where and what trees are holding softmast . Hard mast is a few weeks away imo.

[ridgerunner88]

Yeah apples for sure.. I have a good spot with some apple trees that has some buck bedding 60ish yards to the south... with a SW wind forecasted with some rain, I am pretty confident I can sneak in there pretty close and see what happens.

[Kmartinson]

Hunting very specific bedding for bucks. Apples and high browse count areas.  Bucks are really solo. They aren't bedding near other deer imo you have to go find them. I don't worry about bumping them because they will shift again in the rut. Bump and dump and don't believe anyone who tells you it's a lull. Still hunt with your face in the wind until you find the sign you want. Everyone does it differently but you can't shoot them if they aren't there. 

Does will be where the best food source is.

 

[Lucky118]

2 hours ago, G-Man said:

Right now apples are huge draw. And clover fields.. preseason scouting should of told you where and what trees are holding softmast . Hard mast is a few weeks away imo.

Acorns are falling like rain right now. Got a spot right now deer are in the oaks all day bedded and feeding.

[Swamp_bucks]

Between food and bedding.  That’s my strategy early season. I know of a handful of crab apple trees within 100yrds of where the best bedding area is. So as long as the wind stay likes it’s supposed to I’ll be sneaking into that spot to catch them before the apples.