October "Lull" and acorns

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lungbuster
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October "Lull" and acorns

Unread postby lungbuster » Tue Oct 22, 2013 3:09 am

So typically every year about the second week in Oct. our deer sightings and encounters drop off, and many people have theories as to why, but I am thinking it has more to do with acorns or lack thereof as to why the deer are moving less or the same as any other time of the month. This year our acorn crop was down and I have been seeing deer pretty consistently on every sit hitting food plots and ag fields. Even had a close encounter with a mature buck we call Muley last Sat. evening (early in the nite about 6:15), 10 more steps and Shane could have dropped the string......Anyway do you notice more movement or less in the middle of Oct. and if it is less do you hunt oaks or just crop fields and transitions....... I'm just curious if there is a correlation between acorn production and the "Lull" alot of hunters experience in mid-Oct.

Also were the acorns good in your area or was it down this year?


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Re: October "Lull" and acorns

Unread postby bowmike » Tue Oct 22, 2013 3:32 am

I noticed that hunting deer in oaks is my new favorite method in early season. I see deer mostly all day. No big bucks sighted yet though.
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Re: October "Lull" and acorns

Unread postby Redman232 » Tue Oct 22, 2013 3:44 am

For all the good cover and food sources my area has to offer we really lack a large number of mature oaks that are producing acorns. There a small enough number of them on the properties I hunt that I know where they all are. The full moon we had last week has historically resulted in very few deer sightings for me in the past. Saturday morning I set up in a steady rain, shortly after getting set up where I thought I wanted to be, I could hear acorns falling in the distance. I got down, moved and setup again (2nd set up in <30 hr, still before daylight). Steady rain, coming out of a full moon, and I had 12 deer (5 yearling bucks, 3 does and 4 fawns) nailing the acorns around me. I didn't want to shoot a doe in the rain ( it was supposed to stop for a couple hrs and did not) so they got a pass. Saturday evening I shot one of 3 does and 4 fawns in the same spot. Sunday morning while waiting for enough light to look for my doe, 3 does and 4 fawns again same spot hitting the acorns. I never got a look at the left side of the does and none were limping but I wouldn't be surprised if one of them was the one I shot the night before. Anyways, the middle of October if I don't hunt a bed, I hunt secluded food sources. I would say the acorn crop is average.
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Re: October "Lull" and acorns

Unread postby liv4rut » Tue Oct 22, 2013 3:47 am

It has been a really odd (but good) year for me in Illinois. I have seen deer pretty much everytime i go out hunting. Seen mature bucks chasing does earlier than i have ever seen. In the past i would say the (october lull) holds true. Not this year though. The acorns are kinda slim too. The majority of deer im seeing have been tanking up on food (corn and soybeans). Wonder why this is happening? I have been racking my brain as to why everything seems to be off this year??? Bad weather to come? Super cold coming?? I dont have an explanition. It is interesting to hear what other people are saying about the same things around where i hunt.
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Re: October "Lull" and acorns

Unread postby lungbuster » Tue Oct 22, 2013 5:32 am

So this is the point of my post, do you think that the reason most hunters experience a "lull" in Oct. is due primarily to food rather than some saying the deer are "resting up for the rut". I have never believed a deer knew he needed to "rest" because in a few weeks he was going to be running his tail off, rather if a high protein food source was available to him, close to his bedding, then there would be no need for him to travel further for his food (like a crop filed or food plot that may be 300-500 yards from his bedroom). What I have been seeing since there is a lack of acorns in my area is, mature bucks hitting the far away food sources in daylight when they normally wouldn't be on them til way after dark. (which is another thing, during the so called "lull" I would still see bucks on trailcamera and while shining on those ag fields and plots, but it was always well past shooting light, so i think that dispels the myth of bucks saving their energy for the rut).

What are your thoughts?
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Re: October "Lull" and acorns

Unread postby liv4rut » Tue Oct 22, 2013 5:41 am

Yes lungbuster i would have to believe that food is the making of the "october lull" in my opinion. Like you said if its available where he lives he dont have to travel. This year mine are having to travel. so inturn im seeing them headed to the food.
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Re: October "Lull" and acorns

Unread postby Southern Man » Tue Oct 22, 2013 6:05 am

lungbuster wrote:So this is the point of my post, do you think that the reason most hunters experience a "lull" in Oct. is due primarily to food rather than some saying the deer are "resting up for the rut". I have never believed a deer knew he needed to "rest" because in a few weeks he was going to be running his tail off, rather if a high protein food source was available to him, close to his bedding, then there would be no need for him to travel further for his food (like a crop filed or food plot that may be 300-500 yards from his bedroom). What I have been seeing since there is a lack of acorns in my area is, mature bucks hitting the far away food sources in daylight when they normally wouldn't be on them til way after dark. (which is another thing, during the so called "lull" I would still see bucks on trailcamera and while shining on those ag fields and plots, but it was always well past shooting light, so i think that dispels the myth of bucks saving their energy for the rut).

What are your thoughts?


I agree with you. I never believed in an "October Lull" I see it year after year here. There is a definite switch from cropfields, weedfields, etc to oaks. Deer still move, but in other places and generally not real far, only because they don't have to. The way our crop times fall and the timing of acorns starting to drop, it's obvious if you stop & look at it.
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Re: October "Lull" and acorns

Unread postby bowmike » Tue Oct 22, 2013 6:12 am

A few factors I believe are causing this notion

#1 food source change
#2 guys hunting their go to stands, or summer set ups
#3 bucks going nocturnal due to increased pressure and other seasons being opened
#4 guys hunting the same set up too much

I think if you find acorns you will see deer. I am still trying to see my first mature buck, but by finding oaks in different areas, I have been seeing deer each time out.
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Re: October "Lull" and acorns

Unread postby Dewey » Tue Oct 22, 2013 6:19 am

I think the so called October "lull" has much more to do with hunting pressure than anything else. The deer are bedding later for the most part and avoiding human intrusion.

Not much for oaks around most areas I hunt so I can't really say much about them.

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Re: October "Lull" and acorns

Unread postby Stanley » Tue Oct 22, 2013 6:28 am

In my opinion, if your are hunting bucks and not seeing any bucks you are hunting in the wrong place (where the bucks aren't). I hear guys say this all the time I am not seeing any bucks. Some guys don't have the patience to sit and wait either. The game is over before it even starts for some. It is a given, during October the bucks are on their feet much less than November. I am sure most guys rut hunt in October. Thus the October lull takes place.
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Re: October "Lull" and acorns

Unread postby Mario » Tue Oct 22, 2013 10:13 am

Just my observation on the small private spot I hunt over the last few seasons. Now one challenge in there is limited bedding on this property so some deer are traveling farther.

1. Deer sighting tend to drop the first 2 weeks of October.
2. The Deer we do see tend to hit the fields later, just before dark, may be tied to the hunters moon this past week.
3. Smaller immature bucks seem to roam more during daylight hours, we see them being active on scrapes or some rubs
4. The Deer that were active on acorns early don't seem to be around them. We had a fair amount of acorns drop early and the deer were on them, but not so much in the last two weeks.
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Re: October "Lull" and acorns

Unread postby Uncle Lou » Tue Oct 22, 2013 11:52 am

I am with Dewey and Bowmike. I think the pressure from guys setting stands starting Sep 1, small game Sep 15, archery oct 1, and some other seasons kicking in put the pressure and put them more nocturnal.

There are a lot of factors, but this is my thinking, and makes learning bedding very important. Still doing some work on this. I was sitting in a stand over doe bedding sat night. At 6pm I thought I am going to creep in there and see if I can see one. Got about 50 yards in this tangled mess before I blew one out guessing about 40 or so yards away. At least one was in there, but doubt I would of seen it sitting the stand.
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