Hunting in early October

[sweet old bill]

I read a mag that suggested the worst time to hunt bucks is in the first 3 weeks of October. They just are not ready, they should be only hunted on the feed area. But do not let them know you are hunting them so they change there pattern. Best to stay away till the rut comes in. How about you and how do you handle the early season, the lack of visability due to the leaves on trees and brush. I hunt ground blinds and it is in the area to the food source. So for me it is just picking the stand that has the right wind for me to sit in....how about you ????

[SteveMcD]

I totally disagree. Early season is a great time. It is the early Lull... but knowing deer patterns ad food sources and bedding areas is always key. 

[Doewhacker]

I'm with you SteveMcD, early October is where its at...Once the rut hits who knows where the bucks will end up.

[Fantail]

Here's the thing, I got a lease in the NZ so I could camp up & Bow hunt last week of Sept. & finally try to fill an unused tag from last year. After that with some luck fill another tag before SZ opens. And that's all there is to it.

[Doc]

In the southern zone, if you had an opportunity to shove the whole season forward to begin at the 1st day of October, but had to relinquish the last week of the current bowseason, would you accept that kind of change. You would actually wind up with more bowhunting days, but you would give up a week of rut...... Acceptable?

[Doewhacker]

No I want it all! haha Tuff question, I keep going back and forth in my head.. it would be nice to gain some extra days in the woods, but the week of the rut can be some thing to see.. hmmm I say keep it the same way it is now. It seems like it would be better for the deer if they had a week to breed before gun starts and a bunch of em get killed off.

[solon]

leave it the way it is as far as season start/finish. moving it up would mean an extra week with the leaves still on the trees.

As far as the 1st question i disagree that the 1first 3 weeks of bow season are no good.

I see more quality bucks during that time frame then the rest of the season - the only bummer is with the bow, they aren't always in range.

[SteveMcD]

I agree. Leave the season as it is. October 1st is too early, still gets very warm. As far as the later part of the season goes. Hunting during the "Lock Down" in the rut is pretty dull too. Sometimes you hit it, sometimes you don't. Mid October is a great time to take advantage of bears too.... they will be feeding heavily during this time.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Ideally, Id like to see the season go Oct 1 to Jan 1, knock regular gun season down to 2 weeks, then let the MLs back in after a couple weeks for another 2 weeks. Add x-bows in for the whole time and youve got the recipe for great hunting straight through 3 months.

Back to the original subject though, I like early season more than the rut, especially with archery equipment. Deer go crazy during the rut and become very unpredictable. It can be feast or famine in many places.

[Geno C]

some of the best time to hunt is early season, early october. you can have a better drop on a buck at food source simply because the buck is still in feed mode. the buck has not switched in to pre rut mode. so hunting food sources is usually productive with buck activity. once buck starts to feel the rut food sources become hit or miss IMO.

a bucks habit will change regardless if a hunter is in the woods or not. When that estrus beckons a buck will do the dam-nest things...  hard to pattern them at that time. atleast early season it may be easier to get the drop on that buck you have been watching in your food plot and so on...

[sweet old bill]

Lots of the southern states open up as early as the first wekend in September. NOw they all seem to find that the bow does not put pressure on the deer herd like gun does. I would love to see NY change gun to less than 2 week season for gun ( rifle - shotgun ) and 1 week for BP.

The early opening in bow would be easier for us older hunters, as I sure do not do well with the snow and ice of the late season.

[Chevy]

People keep calling for an Oct.1 opener but they don't realize it would come with a big price. DEC is not going to just hand over additional time to archers with the same ease that they take it away from us.    If we get an Oct.1st opener we will surely loose the last week of the season in November and that is not acceptable, at least to me.

Frankly, I'm tired of the constant push to change everything i.e. crossbows, early ML, saturday opener, youth seasons ect ect...all this is taking away from the fun of looking forward to the up comming season. And I'm tired of all the fighting between hunting groups as they try to take a piece of archery season.

I know I sound like a grumpy old guy but I'm not old...just grumpy. 

 

[Chevy]

If it's not too hot, I have had good luck the first couple days of the archery season. The deer can be patterned and you are truely suprising them while in their natural patterns because they are not pressured yet. After the first weekend it slows a bit until rut activity gets them moving again.

[WNYBuckHunter]

People keep calling for an Oct.1 opener but they don't realize it would come with a big price. DEC is not going to just hand over additional time to archers with the same ease that they take it away from us.    If we get an Oct.1st opener we will surely loose the last week of the season in November and that is not acceptable, at least to me.

Frankly, I'm tired of the constant push to change everything i.e. crossbows, early ML, saturday opener, youth seasons ect ect...all this is taking away from the fun of looking forward to the up comming season. And I'm tired of all the fighting between hunting groups as they try to take a piece of archery season.

I know I sound like a grumpy old guy but I'm not old...just grumpy. 

We know Chevy, at least you can admit to it.  ;D

[Geno C]

People keep calling for an Oct.1 opener but they don't realize it would come with a big price. DEC is not going to just hand over additional time to archers with the same ease that they take it away from us.    If we get an Oct.1st opener we will surely loose the last week of the season in November and that is not acceptable, at least to me.

Frankly, I'm tired of the constant push to change everything i.e. crossbows, early ML, saturday opener, youth seasons ect ect...all this is taking away from the fun of looking forward to the up comming season. And I'm tired of all the fighting between hunting groups as they try to take a piece of archery season.

I know I sound like a grumpy old guy but I'm not old...just grumpy. 

its oct 1st on the island

[Doewhacker]

It can be September 27th at my house, if you have last years tag, other wise it is Oct 1st...NorthernZone   

[CNYlungbuster]

Like its been said before... Hunt the food in the early season bucks are in chow mode and need to put on the calories so they got something to burn off once the rut hits.  Once the rut does hit I like to find secluded openings where does feel comfortable bedding/feeding and hunt the trails leading to and from them looking for that buck cruising back and forth checking for that first doe to POP.

CNY

[LIHUNT]

Hey Geno you hunt the island alot? How far out east do you come?

[ny hunter]

CHEVY very well said and I agree with you 100percent.I hunt with a bow a rifle and a ML leave everything alone and have fun...........

[Cabin Fever]

Ideally, Id like to see the season go Oct 1 to Jan 1, knock regular gun season down to 2 weeks, then let the MLs back in after a couple weeks for another 2 weeks. Add x-bows in for the whole time and youve got the recipe for great hunting straight through 3 months.

Count me in!! 

[Geno C]

Hey Geno you hunt the island alot? How far out east do you come?

i hunt all over out east really... i have atleast 8 - 10 different properties i hunt... i also have state land across the street from my inlaws house so you know what i do when  we go out there for dinner during bow lol.

[LIHUNT]

Thats awsome! Suprised i've never bumped into you.  I hunt alot south of the Hwy(27) and alot of farm land.  Farmers want them all dead.

[Geno C]

i dont limit myself to one area. ive been hunting LI for quite sometime and ive done my share of state/private land scouting for hunting spots... plus my family has 10 acres of land right next to a huge corn crop out east.

[doulos]

Since i hunt in the Southern zone our season starts aroud the 15th . ive allways seen alot of bucks the first week and i believe its the best time to rattle.

[sweet old bill]

I do better with the doe blet on the last two weeks of Oct..