October Whitetail Bowhunting Rules
Posted by Jay Everett on
Some of the finest days of the year for Bowhunters are upon us! Despite all the attention November gets, October can be some of the best days to notch your buck tag. That is if you follow the basic rules for bowhunting bucks in October. Jeff Sturgis of Whitetail Habitat Solutions shares what he feels are some of the rules for success when bowhunting deer in October.
Check them out in the video below…
Take advantage of Random Morning Sits Without Blowing Out Your Deer
Be cautious on how you hunt those random morning sits in October. Don’t be too aggressive until the latter part of the month when the pre-rut kicks in. Hunt the edges without going in too deep in the areas you’ll counting on for the rut.
Maintain Integrity of Food Sources
The deer you’re hunting are counting on the food sources on that particular property. Put excessive pressure on these food sources and they’ll bail on you. Again, this is the time and place to be more cautious than aggressive.
Back Off the Does as Pre-Rut Comes On
Get your doe control done in the early season, and then hold off until after the rut for best results. You can still maintain your population management goals toward the late season, if necessary, but now is the time to focus on your bucks.
Hunt Your Core Bucks
Hunt your core bucks while they are still hanging around the property. When the rut comes on, there’s no telling where he’ll end up. Now is the time to strike while he is on his home range.
Watch for October Feeding Fronts
Pay attention to shifts in activity and movement as deer make changes around the changing weather systems and feeding pattern changes. There are a lot of things changing at this time of year. Stay ahead of the game by watching changes in the patterns of your local deer herd as they react.
Hunt Pre-Rut Mornings
As the pre-rut comes on, the morning hunting opportunities will intensify. Start hunting the mornings to catch this increase in deer activity in the mornings as deer are on the move and searching out the first does of the years. It’s an incredible time of year! Don’t miss it.