Joe2Kool
Member
I'm pulling for you Ryan! Kill a biggun!
I gotta find Mark's article...If I'm not mistaken, he's killed a few nice ones.
BTW Ryan, The Drury's own several hundred acres (or more?) near where you will be.
If you have only 7 days to hunt......
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I'm pulling for you Ryan! Kill a biggun!
I gotta find Mark's article...If I'm not mistaken, he's killed a few nice ones.
BTW Ryan, The Drury's own several hundred acres (or more?) near where you will be.
Ryan Smith
Member
Thanks Joe2Kool! I'll send a message with the article if I can find it.
Cams last several years tell me it will be well worth my time to be on stand every afternoon starting next Wednesday the 25th. This just happens to coincide with a cold front.
Hardwood11
It is going to be a good fall!
Ryan--I saw a giant chasing a doe on November 1--morning...then another 165 inch in evening. Private land (cool weather).
It can happen early. Halloween is magical if cold weather hits, from my experience in MN. Which means it's only better in Iowa!
It can happen early. Halloween is magical if cold weather hits, from my experience in MN. Which means it's only better in Iowa!
I love cold late oct hunts too. For some reason (in my head most likely) cold October is great and early November always makes me think of “calm before the storm” as I rarely see mature bucks those 1st few days. It’s like Halloween really scared them for the next 4-5 days after
If I wanna rattle in 2-3 year olds running all over early Nov- it might appear like it’s super good hunting. But for me, I’ve never had a lot of success. See the OLDEST deer 8-22-ish of nov.
Wapsi Tree Rat
Well-Known Member
I love cold late oct hunts too. For some reason (in my head most likely) cold October is great and early November always makes me think of “calm before the storm” as I rarely see mature bucks those 1st few days. It’s like Halloween really scared them for the next 4-5 days after
Bingo! It all comes down to quality or quantity. If you have trouble falling asleep on stand then take the earlier dates. Lot's of crazy 1, 2, and 3, year olds with the rare 4 or 5. If you're looking for a long slow day on the stand and the possibility that only buck you may see is your shooter, then go later. I'm Cedar Rapids latitude and the 4th-5th are consistently the most active days in the timber for me, but my best buck was arrowed on Thanksgiving 2008.
Depends on where you are at. I think it changes. I'm talking cam pics of deer 5-10 years old. End of October.... At least on my cams... They out and about. Just gotta be in right spot in right time. 3 years ago missed a 190"+ OLD deer on 11-4. Last year I shot a 5 year old on 11-4 and a 7 or 8 year old on 11-10.
Regardless I'm hunting every day October 25 to Thanksgiving if needed so doesn't matter much to me.
Wapsi Tree Rat
Well-Known Member
Depends on where you are at. I think it changes. I'm talking cam pics of deer 5-10 years old. End of October.... At least on my cams... They out and about. Just gotta be in right spot in right time. 3 years ago missed a 190"+ OLD deer on 11-4. Last year I shot a 5 year old on 11-4 and a 7 or 8 year old on 11-10.
Regardless I'm hunting every day October 25 to Thanksgiving if needed so doesn't matter much to me.
Cam pics at night don't count
Oh, yeah, I'll never forget the 170 incher that snuck up on me from behind on Nov 2nd. I was busted before I saw him. Sure there's a lot of variables. I think this year the crops will be a factor. They went in ave 7 days late and the rains are going to get them out late. Another variable is doe population. We simply have too many over here. Like someone else said..."20 yds to the next doe". Moon phase is also a variable. Big moon, clear and cold and the big boys will run all night.
I'm just going off my experience in one location. In 20 years I've had 5 stand locations all within 500 yds on the same piece of ground.
But in the end I completely agree....your best chance at a good buck is to hunt every day till the slugs start flying.
Swintonator
Member
Best hunts I've experienced happen right around Halloween. I would actually prefer to be on stand from Oct. 29-Nov. 4. That said all of November will have flurries with good movement. My second favorite time would be to hunt the last week of November when the estrus does are getting harder to find and usually the buck movement picks up again. I hunt 6 miles from you and wish you luck. There's been a lot of mature deer showing up this year so you should be in for a fun time whatever time block you choose!
Monsterbuck
Active Member
I'm changing my approach this year. In th past I have shot for that Nov 7-10 period a lot are referring to but the last few years the weather has been terrible (temps in the 60's and even 70's) and deer activity has not been very good. This year I'm staying flexible and watching the weather. If the highs are in the 40's and below I'll take off that time period but if they are above that I'm going to hold off on the vacation days till later in the month.
I agree that activity is less but some real big boys can be seen late in the month of Nov and I have seen some dandy bucks shot then.
I agree that activity is less but some real big boys can be seen late in the month of Nov and I have seen some dandy bucks shot then.
shadowpeople
Active Member
November 12th has been the best day for me all the time. So I usually hunt the days before and after if it doesn't happen by the 12th. But, as you start to have luck during a certain period, you tend to hunt that period more or exclusively, and don't really have the insight on the other days. Been working for me so far.
Boonervilleusa
Well-Known Member
The most daylight pictures and sightings I have ever gotten of fully mature bucks have been during October 28th-30th, and November 7-9th. That is across 3 states (IA, IL, IN) over the last 10 years. By far the most productive day I have had consistency seeing mature bucks is Nov 9th. I think the reason for that is related to peak estrous time. If you back up from average fawning date, that puts average breed date somewhere around November 13th-15th. Does estrous cycles are on a bell curve...with a few coming in right before the bulk of the does. It seems to me that the most mature bucks know this, and always seem to find those very first does that come in. Thinking back, I shot a 160" Indiana buck on Nov 9th, and he was already with a doe, following right behind her everywhere she went. The most mature bucks I have ever seen in one sit was on Nov 9th a couple years later in Illinois. I saw 9 bucks at least 4 years old during an all day sit. 2 were with does in the same fashion. They knew the does were not receptive quite yet, but were not about to let her out of their sight until she was ready. Last season here in Iowa, I missed a world class deer at 30 yds on Nov 9th, following/guarding a doe once again. I have witnessed the same behavior on the 8th and 10th as well. If I had 3 days to hunt the entire year, I would sit all day Nov 8th-10th. It seems to me that is the window where I have seen ultra mature bucks be the most vulnerable. That being said, I've killed most of my bigger bucks in October, so take what I say with a grain of salt.
Oct-Lull
Well-Known Member
I just listened to Mark Drury on a wired to hunt podcast. Was a great listen. Talked some about heavy frost mornings. Agree with alot of his ideas and philosophy on whitetails, and have learned quite a bit as well.
StickersNKickers
Camo Up!
I only have 3 bow bucks under my belt, but 100% were taken from Nov. 6-10th. One was taken on the 6th (warm evening hunt), another on the 7th (warm afternoon hunt), and the other on the 10th (cool but warming up morning hunt). I've also missed a good one on the 5th (rainy morning hunt). One of my most exciting hunts that didn't end with a deer down was on the 11th (cold rainy all day hunt where I got to see a 5+ yr old bed down for a few hours with a doe and several youngsters waiting for their chance). Also had sightings and trail cam pics of one old buck multiple years anywhere from right around Halloween to Nov. 10. And one of the biggest bucks I've had on camera I had an encounter with in mid-October. He was later killed in early November by a neighbor. I've mostly taken time off work in late October and early November, so I obviously have had most of my sightings during that timeframe. Kinda seems like if I don't get one by the 10th, I'm almost out of luck. But, then again, I haven't hunted as much in the later part of November. I can't comment much on later November other than weekends, but my grandpa always said he saw the most activity on his farm when he is out and about around mid-November to shotgun season.
Always a roll of the dice on picking days, but good luck! Any time you can get in the stand is good!
