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October is killing me!

patch86

patch86

New Member
Just wanted to rant and hear some feedback. With my limited amount of vacation and kinda hectic work schedule I could either hunt and even amount in October and November or scratch basically all of October and hunt most of November. Well for obvious reason I've only been out 3 times in October and just waiting as patiently as I can for November 2. I have the 2nd to the 12 of then I got back to work a weekend and have 16 to the 23 off. It's just killing me to read everyone's posts on here right now!! Someone just tell me it's gonna be ok!! Haha. Not sure my wife can handle me these last couple weeks!!!
 
patch86 said:
Just wanted to rant and hear some feedback. With my limited amount of vacation and kinda hectic work schedule I could either hunt and even amount in October and November or scratch basically all of October and hunt most of November. Well for obvious reason I've only been out 3 times in October and just waiting as patiently as I can for November 2. I have the 2nd to the 12 of then I got back to work a weekend and have 16 to the 23 off. It's just killing me to read everyone's posts on here right now!! Someone just tell me it's gonna be ok!! Haha. Not sure my wife can handle me these last couple weeks!!!
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Man, I hate to tell you this...but ALL of the bucks have been shot already or they are in hiding two counties over. Everyone knows you need to be out there every day in October!! :D

Ok, Ok, just kidding! It's going to be fine. In about 10 days things should be rocking!!
 
You obviously chose the right decision. I've been out twice and that was last Saturday with the front. Lot of deer sightings but the big boys are still mostly nocturnal
 
You arnt missing a whole lot in my opinion. Now starting Wednesday next week.... Cold front.... Yeah it's about to get a LOT better. I think I have hunted less this year to date than any point in last 10 years. Just not worth it in 70+ degree weather. Can't wait for a weather change.

I guess on a positive note...it has been good weather for spraying for next year NWSG plantings.
 
Be patient young grasshopper. Sounds like you'll have plenty of days to get it done during a much better time period.
 
You have way more time off in Novemenber then I will hunt all year ... I have been out one time so far. You have plenty of time to get it done! Good luck
 
Haven't even bought my bow tag yet. Crazy how priorities shift ones the real world hits and work gets crazy busy. You'll be A-OK by how much you're able to hunt come November. Outside of a couple extremely fortunate hunters not much is going on in the deer woods from what I've personally heard from guys.
 
ShedderKG said:
You have way more time off in Novemenber then I will hunt all year ... I have been out one time so far. You have plenty of time to get it done! Good luck
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X2 You could have it much worse. I haven't had a day off since the 19th of September and will be doing REALLY well to have a day off anytime before the 6th of November. Working in the seed industry is practically a death wish for a bow hunter. Sucks man.
 
Bank on November.
You can't kill a mature, old, big buck in October anyways.
Cold days end of Oct & then Nov 5-25 have been my favorite days over decades of experience here. One schmo's opinion. I would love to experience a hard core rut like I remember about 8-9 years ago. I know we'll have a Lull in the Nov timeframe but the lack of super intense ruts have diminished those if there's one good thing I've noticed. Good luck!
 
Abraham Lincoln once said. " if you give me six hours to chop down a tree, I'm going to spend the first four sharpening the axe"
I hunted October 2nd and shot the first mature doe that didn't have fawns. I had her hung up and skinned by 530.
I had no mature deer on any sort of a daylight pattern. I put all my eggs into the November basket this year. Work smarter not harder. If I had a mature deer patterned early then I would have jumped on that wagon. With all the things we all have going on we have to choose the time that puts the odds in our favor
 
Rich77 said:
Abraham Lincoln once said. " if you give me six hours to chop down a tree, I'm going to spend the first four sharpening the axe" I hunted October 2nd and shot the first mature doe that didn't have fawns. I had her hung up and skinned by 530. I had no mature deer on any sort of a daylight pattern. I put all my eggs into the November basket this year. Work smarter not harder. If I had a mature deer patterned early then I would have jumped on that wagon. With all the things we all have going on we have to choose the time that puts the odds in our favor
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I like this, well put!
 
I would agree with everyone else, you aren't missing much right now. Driving around in the evenings I have yet to see anything over 2.5 out feeding, mostly does and a few yearling bucks. I shot a 2.5 yr old buck sunday off my small acreage and he showed no signs of being rutted up yet.
 
Sligh1 said:
Bank on November.
You can't kill a mature, old, big buck in October anyways.
Cold days end of Oct & then Nov 5-25 have been my favorite days over decades of experience here. One schmo's opinion. I would love to experience a hard core rut like I remember about 8-9 years ago. I know we'll have a Lull in the Nov timeframe but the lack of super intense ruts have diminished those if there's one good thing I've noticed. Good luck!
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Off subject but what would you attribute this to, the diminished rut activity? I would agree by the way but I've spent less and less time in the woods the last four years so I blame myself for not observing more activity?
 
Mike311 said:
Off subject but what would you attribute this to, the diminished rut activity? I would agree by the way but I've spent less and less time in the woods the last four years so I blame myself for not observing more activity?
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I find myself thinking about this quite a bit. At one time we were shooting all the does we could to create a shorter more intense rut. Now that our numbers are down in a lot of areas have we went to the extreme? Is the seeking, chasing and breeding short enough that we are missing action because we are not seeing it spread out? Are there other reasons such as weather, pressure or simply there's not as many does to breed so there's no reason to run 24 seven when you can get your business taken during normal nocturnal hours???
 
buckfever321 said:
X2 You could have it much worse. I haven't had a day off since the 19th of September and will be doing REALLY well to have a day off anytime before the 6th of November. Working in the seed industry is practically a death wish for a bow hunter. Sucks man.
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What do you do in the seed industry ? Curious as I can get a few days off in November and im in the same industry.
 
Central Iowa said:
I find myself thinking about this quite a bit. At one time we were shooting all the does we could to create a shorter more intense rut. Now that our numbers are down in a lot of areas have we went to the extreme? Is the seeking, chasing and breeding short enough that we are missing action because we are not seeing it spread out? Are there other reasons such as weather, pressure or simply there's not as many does to breed so there's no reason to run 24 seven when you can get your business taken during normal nocturnal hours???
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I firmly believe that it is simply, fewer does = shorter window. Just think about it.

If your buck to doe ratio is 1 to 1 (the "ideal" ratio) thank every buck will pair up with a hot doe and breed her and its over. 90% of does come into estrus in the same 10 day window right? And the bucks lock down on them for 24-48 hours. Easy to see why our rut blows as of late, compared to the past.

Now if your buck to doe ratio is 1 to 6, just think about all of the running around your bucks will have to do to get all of those does bred in 10 days!!!

Leave the ladies alone!
 
I like the thinking in that last post! Makes sense!! I agree. Leave the Ladies alone. And I have for the past 8 yrs. Just don't see that many does in my area.
 
I take the first ten days of November off every year no matter the weather, crops, or moon phase. I don't remember a year that I haven't had an opportunity at mature bucks.
 
I'm from the same school of thought as gundog. We never jumped on the "shoot all the does " bandwagon and I think we have seen better rutting activity in our sections because of it. Another reason that I also believe this is because if your area has alot of does,traveling bucks during the rut are more likely to spend time in your area looking for those does. We shoot very few does and the neighbors are in compliance. Add to that fact that they shoot quite a few bucks during shotgun season and that skews the ratio more. This is nothing scientific, just something I believe and have concluded after personal experience. Last year's rut was one of the most intense I have witnessed.
 
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