Who waits til late October?

[nybuckboy]

Does anyone here wait til later in October, say the 20th or later for their first sit?

[BizCT]

No


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[Moho81]

There's no way I could. I know the chances are low early season but I don't care. 

[First-light]

If I'm at the cabin I may go out early but my plans are around late Oct. 

[UpStateRedNeck]

Have to be out opening day, it's a rule.  As long as it's not pouring!

[landtracdeerhunter]

No way, I fought for a October 1st  opener for years. 

[G-Man]

Nope, had a friend tell me that years ago in ohio when Ny opening day was the 15th.. he said his busdy told him dont bother big ones dont move till the rut late oct early nov.. I insisted that he go out as season in ohio started oct 1st..  a few hours after work I got a call he killed a 10pt that came in with 4 other bucks!!!  His buddy was all confused and said it was a fluke.   But hes done it many times since and his buddy goes out early oct now as well...  

Edited September 22, 2020 by G-Man

[Daveboone]

you dont specify the season, ...but just the same...

ML season opens mid month, this year 10-17. I havent missed an opening day in 43 years.I certainly see more deer later (I take opening week ML off and the last week in December) but I still will see deer. I only get a doe permit about every other year, so to me ML is my 2nd deer. I fill that tag and still have a tag (sometimes two) to keep me out through to the end. I will often pass on deer early just because I have to hunt...I dont have to shoot anything.

[phade]

I've killed half of my bucks in October and probably a third of them since moving to 10/1 between 10/1 and 10/20. Including a very old buck on opener in 2012.

Seems crazy to not take advantage of known patterns when there has been no related hunting pressure.

[BizCT]

I've killed half of my bucks in October and probably a third of them since moving to 10/1 between 10/1 and 10/20. Including a very old buck on opener in 2012.
Seems crazy to not take advantage of known patterns when there has been no related hunting pressure.

Agree. Or if we had a 9/15 opener like CT I think we would see a lot of big bucks killed between 9/15 and 10/1


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[phade]

Just now, Biz-R-OWorld said:

 

Agree. Or if we had a 9/15 opener like CT I think we would see a lot of big bucks killed between 9/15 and 10/1


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I used to think that alot but I have changed over time. I think you'd have to have a 9/1 or Labor Day timestamp to really get that. Shifts happen with velvet peel and changing food sources. 9/15 doesn't clear the first one.

[Jeremy K]

I'm not a fan of the potential heat in october but I'll be out the first day after work and as well the first weekend.

[Kmartinson]

Food sources early oak nuts beach nuts, browse and alfalfa, doe bedding in 3 weeks, food sources after November 20. Doe bedding December 5 through 15, food sources after dec 15.

[Robhuntandfish]

i hunt some,  but save all my time off for late Oct thru mid Nov.  I decided i am not hunting afternoons in T shirt weather though.   Never see anything and i just feel i am burning my stands.  The opener i am planning on just hunting after work.  Then weekends as weather dictates thru the early part of Oct.  If we keep seeing frosty morns that will get me out more.   

[Merlot]

Seems a bit early for me. I have preferred hunting on or just after 10/15 or so, but that's just me. The cooler the weather, the better for deer movement.

[phade]

It's funny how observations impact the decisions we make. We all have those kinds of decisions.

Hot days do not rule me out. The oldest buck I've killed was that one on 10/1 and it was 70 that day. My 2015 buck was a t-shirt sunny day. The biggest buck I've ever seen on the hoof while I was in the stand was on a day where it was very warm; Moog had a t-shirt and lightweight Adidas track pants on because he didn't have gear light enough to be wearing in the heat. I unfortunately know that deer scored 176 and I saw him at like 230-3PM in blazing sun.

I can't say I enjoy hunting those warm days - especially when I'm tired and that warm sun hits in mid afternoon. Ugh. Sleep city. But I do push through it.

[grampy]

Since the change to Oct 1st for the opener, I"ve done something with Mrs grampy, for "our time" the 1st Saturday in Oct. NBD really.

 Early on I only hunt in between known bedding and feeding. All rut stands are left alone until towards the end of Oct. The lake property is a BIG funnel between bed and feed. And it's not unusual to have a half dozen doe, and small bucks feeding within 20 yards there. (I've posted many pictures of this over the years) And there is sometimes a nice buck spotted too. This is where I hunt mornings, and occasional afternoons, for the first couple weeks or so. But surrounding hunter pressure, cuts down the numbers of deer seen pretty quickly here. Once things get ramped up a bit more closer to the rut, I move over to the farm. This is where my heart is, and usually where I'll have my best chance at a decent buck. 

So for me, I do hunt early on, and have killed some early to mid Oct deer. But the main event starts for me from mid to late Oct.

[Steve D]

I don't start getting serious til after the 15th or so but spend as much time in the woods the first part of the month as I can simply because it is a beautiful time of the year. The weather is the main factor for me as far as hunting the first two weeks. I just cannot sit in a stand and swat bugs because it is to warm. A little chill in the air is what sparks my interest. Nothing like getting out in the morning with a nice cool temperature and then having it warm up by late morning or mid day.

It just doesn't feel right deer hunting when it is warm. The first two weeks I try to spend more time scouting than hunting. After a morning sit I will do some scouting looking for changes that occur and evidence of the up coming rut and try to plan accordingly.

[Larry]

I go out whenever I can. I won’t make all day sits till after Halloween. I don’t take opening day of bow off. I’m taking off from Oct. 30^th – Dec 4^th this year.

[Bolt action]

I'll get out as soon as schedule and weather allow me to. I tend not to hunt hard this early and really focus on late October - early December. 

[johnplav]

I'd hunt in Aug and Sept if I could, so yea, Ill be out in early Oct.

 

[The_Real_TCIII]

Im hunting my local spot hard right from the jump, theres a lot of competition. If I burn it out so be it. I used to have a couple spots Id save for early November but lost them. One was on semi private and took some real effort to get into, then some new neighbors brush cut a road right into it. Last time i was there it looked like the ladder aisle at Home Depot and there were scent dispensers hanging all over the place

Edited September 22, 2020 by The_Real_TCIII

[doebuck1234]

Ive wait this long,theres no way im waiting longer.though i wont be out on opener as its a thursday and have to work.

[fasteddie]

I am out Opening day and whenever else I can get out . I make it an all day affair so I find it difficult to hunt two days in a row . I need my sleep . Except for a spot in Walworth , I have to drive either 40 or 50 miles to two other spots . 

[moog5050]

1 hour ago, phade said:

It's funny how observations impact the decisions we make. We all have those kinds of decisions.

Hot days do not rule me out. The oldest buck I've killed was that one on 10/1 and it was 70 that day. My 2015 buck was a t-shirt sunny day. The biggest buck I've ever seen on the hoof while I was in the stand was on a day where it was very warm; Moog had a t-shirt and lightweight Adidas track pants on because he didn't have gear light enough to be wearing in the heat. I unfortunately know that deer scored 176 and I saw him at like 230-3PM in blazing sun.

I can't say I enjoy hunting those warm days - especially when I'm tired and that warm sun hits in mid afternoon. Ugh. Sleep city. But I do push through it.

What about that big 10pt that ran under my stand about 3 years ago that I never shot - lol.   First week and about 75 that day I think.

If you have the right food, I think you still can pattern one early.   I had that early season last year but never picked the right stand when the bucks showed.  They were always too far away as I watched them.

Edited September 22, 2020 by moog5050