Scrapes and rubs, and the use of scents, become more important in October, especially later in the month. (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)
October 03, 2024
By Mark Kayser
The dreaded October lull antagonizes hunters, as whitetails perform a disappearing act that would impress David Blaine. However, new GPS tracking data suggests this vanishing act is more a changing of patterns than a hiatus period for America’s most beloved big game species. Summer’s transition to fall, the harvest, testosterone surges and many other factors drive whitetails to alter their behavior. Accurately predicting deer activity becomes harder during this fluid phase of life.
However, instead of waiting it out until the November rut, as some hunters do, take charge now. As most recent deer research reveals, deer don’t move less in October; they simply move and behave differently in response to change and in preparation for future changes. Adapt with them and kick the so-called lull’s butt by putting one or more of these strategies into play this month.
HUNT NEW FOOD By now, you’ve probably driven around your hunting property and identified all nearby food sources for whitetails, right? Corn, soybeans, winter wheat and other crops provide nutritional temptations for deer. If these go-to feeding sites aren’t on your property, and you don’t have access to hunt any properties adjacent to them, these ag fields can pull deer into new patterns way off your land until crops are harvested. However, mast falling can have a similar—if not even greater—wrecking ball effect on established whitetail patterns.
Acorns, both white and red, top the list of new and massive mast attractions. Chestnuts and soft mast such as apples can also lure whitetails literally overnight once they hit the ground. Acorns provide a carbohydrate energy boost as well as a dose of protein and fat—though fat constitutes less than 10 percent of its makeup—to aid winter prep. Bottom line: Whitetails love mast.
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Unlike a farm field, which produces year after year, mast trees—particularly acorns—don’t produce on a consistent yearly basis. While you might have three hollows holding oaks, not all trees will be acorn heavy. Before the season, discreetly inventory any mast on your property. If the crop looks attractive, set up an ambush and monitor it for increased deer activity.
HUNT OLD FOOD The previously mentioned agricultural fields, food plots and possibly the neighbor’s bait pile all require constant scrutiny. Crop maturation, harvest and even hard frosts affect what deer seek. Palatability matters, too, as some grains taste better before they’re ready for harvest, while others become less attractive once they yellow or freeze. In food-rich regions, yellowing soybeans may be ignored.
Harvest can also be a win-or-lose situation. Modern harvesting machines leave little on the ground for whitetails, but the wrong setting, old equipment and accidental spillage can provide deer with a week-long buffet. Pay attention to pattern changes once the grain is headed to market.
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Pre-rut bucks are loaded with testosterone, and the sound of two bucks fighting is sure to draw others. Don’t overlook rattling now. (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock) The same is true of food plots—yours and the neighbor’s. Winter wheat may become more attractive than clover after a frost, and brassicas could rule after a large soybean field next door disappears. Again, changes can happen overnight, so constantly monitor available food sources. Having a couple cellular cameras (where legal) constantly feed you information increases the odds you will not miss a pattern change in October.
HIT THE POOL October can bring dramatic weather and temperature swings, including stifling heat at times. Even in northerly regions, temperatures can spike to 80 degrees or more. Whether you blame climate change or simply unpredictable seasonal transitions, don’t overlook hunting near water.
Deer need hydration irrespective of temperature, though how much they require daily varies depending on the animal’s body weight. An average estimate is 1 1/2 quarts of water per 100 pounds of animal in the winter, and 2 to 3 quarts per 100 pounds in the summer. Once autumn vegetation dries up, they must acquire those 3 to 5 quarts (depending on body size) from a true water source.
Although deer can hit water at any time of the day, they typically do so after bedding, after feeding and before sneaking back to refuge. So, consider placing stands near water sources adjacent to food or bedding cover, or even within bedding cover.
PUSH FARTHER Most of us love hunting edges. They offer hunters good sight lines, and whitetails appreciate their proximity to food and escape cover. Still, after October bucks disband from bachelor groups, they may spend more time in the cover of timber. With deer actively growing their winter parkas in response to dwindling daylight hours, escalating daytime temperatures may keep whitetails away from edges until after sunset.
Although edge stands should always remain a mainstay, especially as the rut nears, consider setting up several stands 100 or more yards inside heavy timber on trails that lead to popular field edges. This is a potent option for paranoid bucks afraid to hit fields before dark or bucks simply awaiting nighttime temperature drops before entering open areas.
Hunting pressure, crop harvest and other activities on adjacent properties can push bucks toward you. If you know a disturbance will occur, plan to be in your stand. (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock) Cautious, clandestine approaches win this game. Don’t disrupt bedding cover by pushing in too far, and set stands on breezy days to minimize your noise. Rainy days are effective for similar reasons, with the added benefit of washing away scent. Once in your stand, wait until after dark to leave via a backdoor, not through the field.
THRIVE ON CHAOS A little commotion can sometimes be good. Talk with area landowners, study neighbor activities and be mindful of other hunting seasons opening. Any of these disruptions can cause deer to pass by your stand unannounced.
Harvest, especially cornfield harvest, bumps many deer lounging in the stalks. One day they have unlimited cover; the next, their homeland is a desert. Be ready when combines attack a nearby cornfield, as deer holed up there will need new digs.
Neighbor activities can also push deer your way. When adjacent landowners shoot on weekends, run ATVs or hunt too aggressively, be in your stand for escapee action. Hunting seasons for other species open in October, too, and the movements of these hunters—whether they’re pursuing squirrels, waterfowl or upland birds—can similarly send deer your way. Be ready.
Finally, watch the weather. Massive pressure changes can goad deer into feeding, potentially providing extra opportunities in October.
FOLLOW BREADCRUMBS As October days speed by, testosterone levels surge in whitetail bucks, reaching a peak at month’s end. This gives them a two-week head start before most does come into estrus, and the anxiety is brutal. To release anxiety and prepare for the rut, bucks begin rubbing their antlers on trees, mock-fighting and creating scrapes. All activities reveal travel patterns you shouldn’t ignore.
Rub lines flag a route a buck uses with frequency. Although edge rubs likely have nighttime developers, follow the line back into the woods to find possible sanctuary locations. Again, be stealthy, but consider placing a stand near thick bedding cover.
The same is true of scrapes. However, instead of setting up over the first one you discover, prioritize large scrapes with signs suggesting they’ve been used in years prior. These scrapes appear at trail junctions, at the mouths of coulees and other busy pathways. Find a big scrape and a new rub line, and you have a great starting point for an October hunt.
CALL OUT October’s testosterone-filled bucks have no aversion to investigating deer sounds that might lead to their first hookup of the season, and three simple sounds can bring bucks in close. Grunt calls, bleats and snort wheeze calls all become more common as Halloween nears. The grunt call typically comes from a buck trailing a doe, but I’ve witnessed dozens of bucks grunting on their own as they move through the woods. Does emit bleats when trying to lure a fawn, but they also call to bucks during the rut. The snort wheeze, meanwhile, is a straight-out challenge call to other bucks and brings dominant and subordinate bucks in for a looksee. Lastly, the clash of rattling antlers works as a long-range call, and most bucks run to a fight in the pre-rut of October.
UTILIZE SCENTS Targeted calls work wonders, but using scents lets you lure deer in 24/7. Crafting a mock scrape in a shooting lane at a stand site just makes sense. Hang a dripper filled with a quality scent over a mock scrape to keep your ambush location active. Use a heat-activated dripper to spread scent during the warmth of the day, and mist shooting lanes with scent while you’re in the stand. Beyond ground-based scent trails, you can also disperse scents via wind currents. Soaked wicks release molecules every time a breeze brushes the wick, and I’ve seen them be effective for several hundred yards.
Creating a mock scrape with scent near a stand can draw bucks in the pre-rut and cause them to linger long enough for you to get a shot. (Photo by author) If real deer urine is illegal where you hunt due to CWD concerns, consider the use of innovative synthetic scents. They have stronger attractive qualities and do not break down like the real thing.
DEPLOY A DEKE While calls and scents work, decoys can provoke even stronger responses. Many hunters use an immature buck decoy during the pre-rut, including in October. Bucks, driven by territorial aggression and a desire to sit atop the pecking order, often bite on this ruse, especially with does still weeks away from breeding.
For the best response, follow some basic rules. First, don’t place a decoy too far from your position; 10 to 20 yards is good. Next, set the decoy in a broadside or quartering-away fashion. Bucks always go head-to-head when encountering another buck in the pre-rut, and this positioning sets you up for the best bow shot and a show you won’t forget.
CRASH THE PARTY By mid- to late October, redirect hunting efforts away from target buck locations and begin hunting female groups. Food sources rock this time of year as gathering areas.
Doe groups will focus on a particular food source, and bucks will be close behind, driven by testosterone and seeking the first females coming into estrus. Food sources draw large amounts of whitetail does, allowing for mass inspections in minimal time. It’s no different than your search for the opposite sex: You head to a target-rich environment, right?
Another key reason nutrition sources are worth hitting is that bucks are spending their last moments before the rut overindulging. They know what lies ahead. They sense the looming marathon breeding season.
October has its challenges, for sure, but bucks haven’t disappeared with a poof. A simple change in tactics might be all it takes to get you in range of a buck before the rut.
TRANSITION TOOLS Five key pieces of gear to draw pre-rut bucks in close.
SCENT STANDBYS (Photos courtesy of Wildlife Research Center) There are countless deer scent options available. Early in October, I fill my Wildlife Research Center Magnum Scrape-Dripper ($16.59; wildlife.com) with Select Doe Urine ($17.31/4-ounce bottle). Then, for the last half of the month, I transition to Special Golden Estrus ($32.87/4-ounce bottle). The early scent of straight urine causes bucks to keep checking the spot, while the estrous scent later makes them commit. Both send the message of females in the area.
A FINE FAKE (Photo courtesy of Montana Decoy Company) I have no aversion to stashing full-bodied decoys at my stands, but they are bulky and can be noisy in brushy areas. To be ready for immediate decoy deployment, I carry the foldable, photo-realistic Montana Decoy Company The Freshman ($99.99; montanadecoy.com) adolescent buck decoy in my pack. Placed on an edge or in brush near a known bedding area, it gives bucks a visual target when passing by. A quick burp on your grunt call often seals the deal.
READY-MADE RATTLER (Photo courtesy of Rocky Mountain Hunting Calls) As an avid shed antler hunter, I typically use the genuine artifact when rattling, but when space is limited, a more compact rattling system, like Rocky Mountain Hunting Calls’ Mini Rattle Cage ($29.99; buglingbull.com) works great. Unlike bulky antlers, the efficient square shape helps it slide into a pack with ease. It’s also easy to operate and realistically mimics bucks rumbling in the woods. And you won’t accidentally jab yourself with a tine, which is common when rattling with real antlers.
This article was featured in the October 2024 issue of Game & Fish magazine. Click to subscribe .
Mark Kayser
Mark Kayser has been writing, photographing and filming about the outdoors with a career spanning three decades. He contributes hunting content to most major hunting publications in America. Today his career also includes co-hosting popular hunting shows such as Deer & Deer Hunting TV on the Pursuit Network and Online. He also blogs and is busy posting his hunting life on social media.
Mark grew up in South Dakota in a family that did not have a hunting background. Despite the lack of hunting guidance, Mark self-taught himself how to pursue whitetails in the Midwest cornfields and across the Great Plains. His passion for elk hunting was curtailed by the ability to draw tags while living in South Dakota, but a love of the West spurred him to move with his family to Wyoming where he launches DIY, public-land elk hunts annually, most with a solo attack in the backcountry.
Mark enjoys hunting all big game, coyotes and wild turkeys, plus he has a shed hunting addiction. When he is not in pursuit of hunting adventures, Mark retreats to his small ranch nestled at the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming to spend time with his wife and faithful border collie Sully.
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