Early October is a challenging time to hunt. Food sources are changing; cornfield cover disappears, and white oak acorns may litter the ground. If ever there was a critical time to monitor camera data, this is it. Weather and wind conditions fluctuate and frequently include hot weather, which limits deer movement to nocturnal travel. On the positive side, deer antlers are hard, which means rubs will soon appear along travel routes, and bachelor groups of bucks will dissolve their friendship and engage in modest antler contact for dominance.
Morning or Evening Stand
Morning stands can be effective if you can arrive without spooking deer on the way in. Can you approach your stand with the wind in your face? Is there a quiet route to get to your perch before first light? If the answer is no, consider afternoon stands when you can approach without a light, travel slowly and quietly, and examine fresh deer sign along the way.
Rattling and Calling
Aggressive rattling with deer antlers will probably scare deer away in early October, yet a buddy was hunting in late September from a field-edge stand. As evening approached, he heard a “click, click, clack” sound along the woodline. Soon two six-point bucks entered the field and engaged their antlers in a modest test for dominance. Savvy hunters use rattling antlers to simulate this dominance-testing routine that can bring a buck from a hundred yards or more, not to fight, but to investigate. “Can” calls work well at this time, and you can extend the sound’s range by blowing into the can instead of just inverting it.
