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What's BEST early season strategy?

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corygnc

New Member
How many of you guys have killed mature bucks early in October?

What has been the strategy?

I have corn on one of my places and am leaving a couple acres so I knocked down a corn path in the middle of the field to connect two treestands on the east and west sides of the corn.

Do you guys see the bucks feeding much in the corn in early October?

I have always started about Oct. 20thish but want to try early this year.

Thanks For Any Ideas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I shot a 7 1/2 year old on october 3rd last year. My plan is to get in the bedding area early ( 2 hours before shooting light). I only do it one time and that is the first morning that I can hunt. If it doesent work i leave that area alone till the rut rolls around. Last year the bucks were all still together. I had 4 mature buck all come in together and they were also sparing. I love it. I will be in the same spot friday morning.
 
I almost got a real mature buck one year in very early October, so I think that qualifies me to answer. :D

The main thing I would NOT do is to booger up a good area now. Known travel corridors between bedding and feeding areas that are low risk to get in and out of would be a decent choice. Example - a friend of mine many years ago shot a nice one early by hunting a fenceline that was surrounded by standing corn and connected two timbers. The deer were staging in a grass waterway after exiting the corn and heading uphill to an oak flat(acorns) and he sat in the only tree over 10' tall there. BOOM, dropped a nice one on the first night.

The time I almost connected real early was on an oak ridge and the deer were still on fresh falling acorns. So if you fresh falling acorns AND can hunt it right, that's how I would lean.
 
My strategy is to pull a few cams and put 1 or 2 stands up tomorrow (Thursday). :eek: I've been pretty busy. I probably won't hunt for a week or 2 anyway, but I do wish I could have gotten them in a few weeks ago.
 
Cory: Already hunting in MN, opening weekend is a great time to shoot a mature buck, but it seems to me it is a one or two event opportunity and then it gets tough. Two examples:

1. Good friend has a 160" inch buck coming to the food plot every evening on cam in ND. Sits down wind waiting on that buck. Buck comes in but just a bit too late to shoot, but the buck walks under the stand and gets his wind. He now shows up at midnight instead of around dark

2. Opening night I have a 135-140" inch buck come in with 4 does (why not sure?) He stages and waits to enter the food plot. The does enter the food plot then proceed to move down wind of me. The buck is only 25 yards from me but I have no shot (vitals are behind brush). A doe gets my wind and then blows, he trots back where he came from. I have not seen him since. Two more steps and he was dead. (But my season would have been over--one tag inMN:D)

Moral of the story, try to make it happen one of the first times you are out, otherwise they get tough to hunt in a hurry, until the rut
.
Best of luck...:way:
 
As already stated above, easy to get to locatins and play the wind VERY carefully. Don't blow out a good spot as it could jepordize the deer movement throughout the whole season.
I personnaly like to sit field edges I can get in and out of quietly but only if the wind is right. Someone said in another post, "it's a war, not a single battle." So take your time and play what mother nature gives you...
 
I'm not a huge fan of hunting this early, too many dang bugs, deer movement is very little at times, and it can be very hot. But this year with the lows in the 30's I'm gunna have to get out. Last night a buddy and I spotlighted over 30 deer in a fresh picked corn field. I think these deer know whats coming ass well, so my plan is to hunt a fresh picked corn field on the edge of the field. Easy access with no chance of bumping that big boy out. I dont know if I'll hunt mornings but if i do it will be a one time deal like Jesse said and try to get into a bedding area first thing Saturday morning. Like everyone else stated it "can" be a one and done if things are done right, and you play your cards perfect that mother nature hands you such as playing your wind perfect, scenting control, etc.

Good luck to everyone who plans on hunting opener, could be alot of deer killed with this weather than is upon us.
 
Trail cams and scouting. If you have a bucks feeding travel pattern down it can be just as good as the routes he may use to check scrapes. I agree with using extra caution and not spook him out of the area.

I'm not a fan of early oct hunting unless I know when and where a mature buck is going on a somewhat regular basis.
 
Best chance at a mature buck early in the season is to cut him off from a known bedding area. Set up well before daylight then tickle some antlers once you have shooting light, don't over do it......
 
I just killed an old 10 on the second. I had trail camara pictues and had seen a bachelor group bedding in a crp field then making their way to a alfalfa field every night. I just sat up about 100 yards away from where they bed and between the field. better do it quick tho before they split up.
 
I hunt fence line and edges only. and don't go to your stand after 5pm All deer are still in their feeding patern the 1st 2 weeks of Oct
 
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