October Greater than November
- BigHills BuckHunter
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October Greater than November
Ive been thinking today and I realize that I have shot most of my bucks in November. But In regards to shooting a mature buck lets say 4.5 years or older I think the last week of October is a better time. I realize many people will disagree with this post and thats fine. I think the chase phase in early Nov. is very hit or miss. You sit in a funnel or wherever and wait for the deer to come to you in these hotspots. In my experience I have seen these November Giants but they either cruise right on by w/o stopping or the movement just isnt as predictable it seems. Luck is the main player IMO.
Then you have the last week in October. The bucks you are targeting are still in your hunting area most of the time, scrape hunting is at its best, You can still hunt the known beds, Early activity becomes more common and like I said before...you can still pattern the deer to a degree. Also, hunting food sources or food plots gives my family many encounters in late october and kills than in the chase of Nov and breeding of November. The calling seems to work much better too in my experience.
I think TV and magazines OVERPLAY November far too much. Sure thats when they breed but it could also mean the buck you are after is a mile away or bedded with a hot doe. Ive done my research and foudn out that more PY and BC bucks are killed in November than in October...but the question is: Do these hunters even start bowhunting until November? Im sure more time is spent on stand as well. Also the records are skewed IMO because you have to take into account all the days in October which are not rutting time.
Then you have the last week in October. The bucks you are targeting are still in your hunting area most of the time, scrape hunting is at its best, You can still hunt the known beds, Early activity becomes more common and like I said before...you can still pattern the deer to a degree. Also, hunting food sources or food plots gives my family many encounters in late october and kills than in the chase of Nov and breeding of November. The calling seems to work much better too in my experience.
I think TV and magazines OVERPLAY November far too much. Sure thats when they breed but it could also mean the buck you are after is a mile away or bedded with a hot doe. Ive done my research and foudn out that more PY and BC bucks are killed in November than in October...but the question is: Do these hunters even start bowhunting until November? Im sure more time is spent on stand as well. Also the records are skewed IMO because you have to take into account all the days in October which are not rutting time.
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Re: October Greater than November
I agree 100%... late Oct for me
Come Nov 5,6,7,8,9 the buck you have been keeping tabs on could be anywhere
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Come Nov 5,6,7,8,9 the buck you have been keeping tabs on could be anywhere
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Re: October Greater than November
I've killed my two biggest bucks in October. I still feel like ny best chance at a monster on the huge public land tracts I hunt is during the rut. Just gets then moving so much more.. jmho.
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- James
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Re: October Greater than November
I've also had much better luck in October than November. 24-31 is my favorite time to hunt.
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- Stanley
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Re: October Greater than November
I too believe late October is a pretty good time to knock down a good racked buck. First couple days in November aren't bad either. I do think the peek of the rut is a great time to see numbers of any size bucks. I also have always said late November is the best time of all to get a large racked buck. After the rut winds down and bucks tend to get back on feeding patterns (unless your gun season interferes). Older bucks (not big racked bucks) tend to chase less than younger bucks so peek of the rut sees many good older bucks go down on patterns other than rut patterns, that can't be over looked as a good time to kill an older buck, at least from my experiences. A friend just sent me this picture today. Two of the bucks were mine and we are headed to the taxi man. These bucks were taken on November 6th, November 9th (2) and November 19th. Three of the bucks were 6.5 years old and not with does, or chasing. The youngest buck 3.5 years old was with a doe.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
- jonsimoneau
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Re: October Greater than November
The record books don't lie. November is the best time for an average joe hunter to kill a big buck. Always has been and always will be. However it can be done in October and October probably offers a better chance at a specific buck. But if my life depended on killing a p&y buck I would choose The first two weeks of November over the entire rest of the season.
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- PLB
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Re: October Greater than November
I agree totally with your post BHBH!! Seeing them is great but killing them is better!!
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- GRUD
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Re: October Greater than November
More big bucks are killed in Nov because more guys hunt then and hunt with guns. Big old bucks can be killed any time of the season but tactics need to be adjusted a bit. I prefer hunting early and late season feeding patterns. Rut takes different tactics. Every hunt one needs to consider the time of year, weather, moon phase, and location/property to be successful.
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Re: October Greater than November
Those are some great racks Stanley!
- Schultzy
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Re: October Greater than November
I love hunting late October but I also like that 3rd through the 10th In November. People shoot more bucks In November because well that's when most are hunting. I think a person could shoot just as many bucks In late October as well.
- Buckfever
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Re: October Greater than November
It depends on the pressure. Here on the public land I hunt there are antler restrictions, there's tremendous pressure and hardly any bucks get taken in October, because after the first 2 days they go completely nocturnal. If you hunt the beds in October you'll never see them, you'll kill your pre rut hunt. You'll just get your random bucks coming through seeking, during peak rut.
Where there is less pressure, my favorite time was late october starting around the 21st when the breeding scrapes get opened up. I used to get 9-12 bucks come into my scrapes, great hunt. As a public land hunter I've had to completely give that up.
Where there is less pressure, my favorite time was late october starting around the 21st when the breeding scrapes get opened up. I used to get 9-12 bucks come into my scrapes, great hunt. As a public land hunter I've had to completely give that up.
- bowhunter15
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Re: October Greater than November
Interesting discussion. All of my biggest bucks have come from November, but it certainly seems like late October the movement starts heating up. And I can't even remember how many "Halloween Monster Buck" stories I've read in the magazines over the years. I'll be heading up to northern MN to hunt the last weekend of October and first two weekends of November. I was thinking about hunting low key the first weekend and hitting it hard in November, but I think now I may have a better chance setting up on a particular deer that first weekend.
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Re: October Greater than November
I agree, I've always had better luck in October and seen more deer then.
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Re: October Greater than November
I think you are on to something about October producing more when you take into account the number of hunters and the hours hunted in November vs October. Kind of like how I have read that statistically speaking, more P&Y bucks are taken between 11-2pm than any other time frame. When you first read that stat you think it's ridiculous, but if you analyze the numbers killed, which might be 2-3% of total kills, with the number of hunters that actually hunt those times you can see how your odds can be better (statistically speaking). With that being said, I am going to be in the woods as much as I can starting mid-October through November. There are trophy bucks taken every day of the season and I found that 100% of the bucks taken have been done so by a hunter that is in the stand as opposed to being on the couch! Good luck all!
- Black Squirrel
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Re: October Greater than November
I also think their is merit to what you say also.
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