Skip to main content

Does October Produce the Best Deer Hunting?

With all due respect to the deer rut, the patterns and predictability of October are simply too good to waste!

Does October Produce the Best Deer Hunting?

Every bowhunter loves the excitment of the deer rut in November, but there is more than one way to fill your tag. October is an overlooked time of the year, and author Clint Casper can prove it!

Bowhunting mature whitetail bucks is often referred to as a science or a meticulous game of chess. It's a cat and mouse type atmosphere when a bowhunter decides to go head to head with a majestic buck. Although a bowhunting season may seem long, they tend to fly by at a fast and rapid rate and are gone before we know it. So why do so many bowhunters only hunt during November when the rut is their only hope? Why do we put all the chips in on a month that is full of luck and chaos, rather than rely on patterns and predictibility? In my opinion, there is no better month to go all in on a buck than the month of October — and I've got many good reasons for that.

Why Wait? Get After it Now!

Contrary to popular belief, the rut is not the only time to hunt a big buck! This is especially true if you're bowhunting a specific buck that you've watched all summer and fall, but now have no idea where he may be! Early October can be absolutely awesome bowhunting if a plan is put into place. By utilizing your summer scouting and running trail cameras, we can find the flaw in a bucks armor and take advantage of the patterns that he shows right off the bat when the season opens up. This is a great time to make an aggressive move and go in after a buck because he has not been hunted for months and may still be on a very predictable pattern. But beware, this will not last for long! So we must jump on this strategy right out of the gate. Key in on a bucks preferred wind direction and daily movements in daylight. This should give a bowhunter a solid pattern to slip in on his target buck.

Adapting to Hot Sign

October-Deer-Rubbing-1200x800.jpg
With breeding season drawing closer, keep a lookout for new rubs and scrapes.

October is the best month to hunt the hottest, freshest sign. As the month goes on, bucks become more and more excited as the rut nears. Knowing that they will be breeding soon creates an abundance of adrenaline and testosterone, which leads to bucks rubbing and scraping all over their preferred bedding and feeding areas. There is no month during hunting season where more sign will be available than in October. These clues can help us get on a good buck immediately. The hottest sign during this month can tell us where the best feed is and where the deer want to be at the present time. This gives us valuable clues to base our daily hunting plans and predictions on. Unlike the rut, where sign can be scattered and very unpredictable, October provides us with clues that coordinate a pattern to them. This is huge when trying to locate a buck that has gone missing after the season opener! Also, don't forget to pay close attention to the farmers. When corn and beans start coming down, deer start diving into these freshly picked areas to scoop up the feed that's left behind.

No Lull

Every year I hear and see so many people talk about the "October Lull" and how it shuts down deer movement. In my experience — 23 plus years of bowhunting — this couldn't be further from the truth. In October, a whitetail buck needs to feed and move more than ever before. With the rut and winter coming, a buck knows he must pack on as many calories per day as possible because he will lose so much chasing does in November.

October-Casper-Corn-1200x800.jpg
Make sure you’re aware of when local farmers begin to cut their corn and beans. Once they do, the deer will certainly be ready to chow down on what was left behind.

With this being said, October is a month when feed is changing rapidly and so are the deer. If you're not on the hottest sign and keeping up with the ever-changing patterns, you'll struggle to find deer. Crops being harvested, acorns dropping, apples falling, etc. are all taking place this month. If you're not seeing deer, don't go to the next county to find them — instead focus on where the best, most available feed is in that current area and I guarantee you'll get back on bucks. Bucks in October are like a high school football team during preseason scrimmages — they're ready to bust loose and get the game of breeding going. With that in mind, remember that these deer are preparing for battle. They need to feed and concentrate on where the does are, and want to keep tabs on them waiting for that first doe to hit estrous. Do yourself a favor and don't fall into the "lull" trap during October. Find the feed, find the hot sign, and you'll find the bucks!

Be First to the Party

The end of October can be some of the best action of the entire year! With does becoming close to estrous and bucks testosterone at an all-time high, these last few weeks of October can be outstanding for buck movement! Bucks will be cruising doe bedding and feeding areas, while checking each doe for estrous. This is the perfect time to start hunting saddles, funnels, pinch points and doe concentrated areas awaiting the pre-rut action to explode. Be ready because once this action heats up it'll only get better from there. Don't wait for that November calendar flip, go kill your buck now!




GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.

Recommended Articles

Recent Videos

Steven Fuller, Marketing Director at Dryshod boots, goes through their line, from hunting boots to chore boots to knock-...
Bowhunting

Baseball & Bowhunting with Ben McDonald

Steven Fuller, Marketing Director at Dryshod boots, goes through their line, from hunting boots to chore boots to knock-...
Gear

30 Years of TenPoint Crossbows!

Steven Fuller, Marketing Director at Dryshod boots, goes through their line, from hunting boots to chore boots to knock-...
Gear

APX — The Newest Pattern From Realtree

Steven Fuller, Marketing Director at Dryshod boots, goes through their line, from hunting boots to chore boots to knock-...
Gear

Buck Commander Releases New Buk Ops Technology

Steven Fuller, Marketing Director at Dryshod boots, goes through their line, from hunting boots to chore boots to knock-...
Gear

Easton's Sonic 6.0 a Versatile Arrow Shaft

Steven Fuller, Marketing Director at Dryshod boots, goes through their line, from hunting boots to chore boots to knock-...
Gear

Easton Introduces the Match Grade Pro Series Arrow

Steven Fuller, Marketing Director at Dryshod boots, goes through their line, from hunting boots to chore boots to knock-...
Gear

Primos Double Bull Delivers New Raised Hunting Ground Blind

Steven Fuller, Marketing Director at Dryshod boots, goes through their line, from hunting boots to chore boots to knock-...
Gear

Primos Delivers Steady Shooting With Edge Tripod System

Steven Fuller, Marketing Director at Dryshod boots, goes through their line, from hunting boots to chore boots to knock-...
Gear

The QAD Ultrarest Gets Better

Steven Fuller, Marketing Director at Dryshod boots, goes through their line, from hunting boots to chore boots to knock-...
Gear

A QAD Ultrarest For Everyone

Steven Fuller, Marketing Director at Dryshod boots, goes through their line, from hunting boots to chore boots to knock-...
Gear

Primos Legacy Grows With Icon Call Series

Steven Fuller, Marketing Director at Dryshod boots, goes through their line, from hunting boots to chore boots to knock-...
Gear

Going Light With Dryshod Boots

Bowhunter Magazine Covers Print and Tablet Versions

GET THE MAGAZINE Subscribe & Save

Digital Now Included!

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Give a Gift   |   Subscriber Services

PREVIEW THIS MONTH'S ISSUE

Buy Digital Single Issues

Magazine App Logo

Don't miss an issue.
Buy single digital issue for your phone or tablet.

Buy Single Digital Issue on the Bowhunter App

Other Magazines

See All Other Magazines

Special Interest Magazines

See All Special Interest Magazines

GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.

Get the top Bowhunter stories delivered right to your inbox.

Phone Icon

Get Digital Access.

All Bowhunter subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets.

To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine.

Get Digital Access

Not a Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Enjoying What You're Reading?

Get a Full Year
of Guns & Ammo
& Digital Access.

Offer only for new subscribers.

Subscribe Now

Never Miss a Thing.

Get the Newsletter

Get the top Bowhunter stories delivered right to your inbox.

By signing up, I acknowledge that my email address is valid, and have read and accept the Terms of Use