Early October is a great time to fill a deer tag
Early October is a great time to fill a deer tag
By Tyler Frantz
Let’s face it- early October bowhunting pales in comparison to the rut-crazed antics one can experience in the deer woods during the first week of November. In fact, some hunters don’t even bother going out early in the season. Instead of frosty mornings, cruising buck and hot doe, one often experiences sluggishly warm weather, dense foliage and swarming gnats.
It may not be everyone’s ideal image of a textbook bowhunting scenario, but hunting need not be ideal to punch a deer tag. Believe it or not, the first week in October may be an archer’s best chance to kill a nice buck outside the most vulnerable windows of the November rut. Generally, October deer are unpressured. As long as hunters don’t spoil an area by over-scouting, the deer have no reason to expect danger. They have traveled, lounged, eaten and slept undisturbed for the better part of eight or nine months and should feel completely comfortable continuing their casual daily routines.
Food sources are easy to locate. All one needs to do is glass a crop field from afar, hang a trail camera on an oak flat or spotlight an old roadside apple orchard to determine the hottest food sources in an area. Though food is abundant this time of year, deer definitely prefer certain foods at specific times. Find the best restaurant in town, and you’ll find the deer too.
Heat equals hydration. On days when temperatures are scorching, deer are likely to be bedded up in shady locations most of the day. But before heading out for an evening meal, they will often stop by the nearest water supply. Creek beds, remote farm ponds and other water sources are great places to stake out just before dusk brings a relief to the heat. Patterns are semi-predictable. Don’t expect to kill too many late-morning, traveling monsters this time of year. However, do plan to settle into a stand that intercepts a buck’s return to his bedding area just after sunrise. Likewise, look to hunt suspected travel corridors or natural funnels leading toward agricultural fields later in the evening.
Again, this is what trail cameras were made for, and if hunters use them wisely, they may just peg down a repeat customer. It is important to note that patterns can change weekly early in the season, so if a buck shows up on camera, act fast before he alters his routine.
Hunting the early season requires a slightly different mindset than hunting later in the year. Obviously, heat can be a constant battle. Since perspiration increases with higher temperatures, limit the distance you must travel to approach your hunting area or take it slow to avoid becoming over-heated.
Carry a scent-reducing field spray to help control odors, and be sure to spray down before and after the walk to the stand. Some hunters even choose to wear a short-sleeved shirt and shorts with rubber boots to hike in and then pull on their camo garments before climbing the tree. Natural smelling cover scents such as bare earth, acorn or evergreen can help mask human odors, while basic deer urine lure sprinkled around the tree can pique curiosity where it’s allowed. Stay away from estrous scents this time of year, however, as most doe haven’t cycled into heat yet, and it could actually hurt more than it helps.
A Thermacell unit can help keep annoying gnats and mosquitoes away. These relatively inexpensive devices come with an earth scent insert that works better, with less negative impact, than smelly bug sprays.
It’s also very important that successful hunters promptly take care of their harvest in warm weather. Field-dress the deer as quickly as possible and get it to a location where the chest cavity can be thoroughly rinsed and cooled down.
In extreme heat, packing the internal cavity with ice can help delay meat spoilage, but the ideal situation is to skin the deer and move the meat to a cooler within a short period of time.
If utilizing the services of a butcher shop, most have deer drop-off plans in place, complete with commercial grade hanging coolers. If doing it yourself, skin and quarter the meat, then move it to a refrigerator or large ice chest until you can cut it up for processing. I keep a spare fridge in my garage for this purpose, and more than once, it’s been loaded with sectioned out deer meat that would’ve spoiled had I hung the whole deer outside in warm temperatures.
The refrigerator works great to age the meat for a day or two before it can be deboned. Lesser-quality cuts are cubed for ground burger, bologna and sausage, while roasts and tenderloins are vacuum-sealed for long-term freezer storage. The key is to anticipate success and have a pre-arranged plan for keeping venison cool.
Many archers prefer hunting the November rut over the first few warm weeks of the season, but those who experience early October success can testify that there are plenty of other outdoor opportunities to help pass the autumn season. There’s no wrong time to fill a deer tag.
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