Forget Day of the Dead. Who needs Halloween? Place the latest Freddy Krueger movie farthest from your mind. If you are looking for the latest horror experience, look no further than mid October hunting. You too can join the camo army of outdoorsmen who aimlessly wander afield with glazed eyes, while quietly murmuring to oneself and scratching their heads. Its a real world Zombie apocalypse, that puts the depiction of the walking dead to shame. It is the October lull.

During the October lull, deer simply disappear into thin air like a ghost transporting through walls. It happens in front of our eyes, and we sit there in disbelief. But, like any M. Night Shyamalan movie, if you pay attention, nothing is as it seems. There is always that window of hope, that wooden stake to kill the vampire, or the silver bullet that stops the werewolf in its tracks. You just need to know where to look to combat the October lull.
Here are the top 4common causes of the October lull and how any hunter can beat the changing of deer patterns.

1. Changing Food Source

When we do preseason scouting, we pattern the deer we see based on their summer habits. The deer we get on trail cameras, the ones we see feeding in that alfalfa field all summer long, and even some of the travel routes we dissect from bedding areas to food sources, are all based on what deer are doing in the summer months. Typically, after the first few weeks of October, when leaves on trees and bushes begin to change colors and fall to the ground, deer switch from their summer patterns to fall patterns. Their change in daylight activity can be as subtle as entering fields from another section of woods, or as drastic as completely changing their entire food source and moving out of the immediate area. If you are not prepared to change with them, you are in for a long and tough October lull.

Your move- As a general rule of thumb I scout 60 percent of the season and hunt 40, with the exception of two times; the early November rut where I do virtually no scouting, and the mid October lull where I spend virtually all of my time in search of fresh sign. Food sources change rapidly this time of year. Deer go from lush green fields to, fresh maple leaves, to mast crops like acorns and beach nuts, before searching for the remaining fields of standing corn. It has been said that if you have five days to hunt it is better to scout for three and hunt for two than it is to hunt all five. This is no exception. As eager as we all are to get in the woods and submerse ourselves in the tranquility, this is where the successful hunter pumps the brakes, and go back to scouting. Just a few short days of refraining to climb into that tree stand can get you back on the deer. Take this time to scour fields at dawn and dusk, move your trail cameras to different access locations and pinch points, and don’t be afraid to move your tree stands. All of the scouting techniques you used during the course of the summer should be used at this time during a mid- October speed scouting session.

Locating beds is key at this point of the year. Don’t be afraid of bumping deer from their beds either. Use the wind in your favor when approaching beds, if you spook a deer that sees you but can not smell you, it is possible that they still return to that bed within the next few days. Deer are animals of habit, even if you happen to ruin that spot during the current year, it is almost guaranteed to hold deer the following year. Be willing to sacrifice one year of mid October hunting to have successful years ahead. Remember the sooner you can find the deer and change with their patterns, the better chance you have of being successful.

2. Hunting Pressure

All summer long deer move about from feeding source to bed with hardly a disturbance to their daily routine, but once August turns to September and the opening days of bow season begin to loom in the mind of all hunters, human activity increases substantially in the woods. Fellow outdoorsmen take to the woods to check trail cameras and set tree stands, in hope of finding that perfect spot. All this activity leading up to deer season disturbs the deer’s natural patterns, and once the season begins, even more people find their way into the woods, bumping deer from their beds, making noise and leaving human scent. This is the beginning of what is know as the dreaded hunting pressure.

Your move- Hunting pressure was once described to me as a similarity to feeding your dog. If every time your dog was eating his food, you gave her a swift kick in the behind, it wouldn’t take her long to realize that she is better off feeding when you are not around. Like wise deer, who are much more conscience of human presence, are conditioned to feed when hunters are not around; during night time hours. If you are hunting in highly pressured areas, such as public land, your best move is the one that takes you away from other hunters.

Before the season begins, I often search for those areas deep in the woods. Nearly 15 years ago the University of Wyoming did a scientific study that concluded; even with GPS devices 90% of hunters will stay within a ¼ mile of their vehicle. So, finding a spot a mile or more into the woods before the season, hanging a tree stand, and waiting for that October lull can pay dividends. While everyone else is complaining about the inactivity, your hunt of undisturbed territory can have you covered up in deer.

3. Moon Phase

Considering humans as a species, we are animals of pattern. We awake as the sun rises and bed down as the sun sets. Deer are very similar in their patterns, with the one exception, they use the moon as their indicator of activity. Every month the moon changes size along with rising and setting patterns. As hunters if we are not able to read those moon activities, we find ourselves stuck waiting for the rut activity to start to see deer.

Your move- At first glance reading moon phases can seem overwhelming. Terms like waxing, waning, full moon, new moon, blood moon, moon under foot, moon overhead, are all so specific to astronomy that those who named them probably don’t have a clue what they mean.

The basics are very simple though. Go to your favorite weather site and find when the next full moon is going to be, and circle that date on your calendar. Then count five days back and mark each day on your calendar as evening hunts. This is the period in time when the moon is getting larger (waxing). During this time of the month you will see the moon rise in the sky before the sun sets. Since as we know deer follow moon patterns, instead of sun patterns, it is only natural that they will be on their feet searching for food sources before the sun sets. It is important to remember that since the moon is rising earlier, it will set earlier, causing them to bed down before the sun ever rises, so morning hunts will be less effective than normal.

Now go back to your calendar and count five days after the full moon, and write morning hunts on each of those days. This is the period of moon phases where the moon is getting smaller (waning). During this period of time the moon will be setting after the sun rises, causing the deer to be moving back to their beds later than normal.
Its important for your success that if you are late getting out of work and the moon is already rising in the sky, to skip that hunt. Your chances of spooking deer who are already on their feet are incredibly increased. The same advice goes for morning hunts; if you don’t have the time to sit until after the moon sets, you are at risk of ruining a great spot by pushing deer away from their bedding areas.

Over head and underfoot are also easily understood. The term overhead means the moon is at its highest point in the sky, and the term underfoot is a term used to described the position of the moon on the direct opposite side of the earth. These two events have dramatic effects on the natural world. They are the lone indicators of high tides and low tides in the ocean, and have a profound affect on the major feeding times of mammals. While deer are crepuscular animals, the overhead and underfoot times are the most effective when they coincide with the last hour of daylight and the first our of sunrise. Plan your sits around food sources during these times.

4. Weather Patterns

As a hunter you can do everything correctly, from mid-season scouting, to staying away from hunting pressure. You can even correctly predict the moon phases and move accordingly, but one thing trumps all preparation, patterns, and even the rut; the weather. Seasonally warm weather will keep even the most rut intensive deer bedded down and off their hoof during daylight hours. With their spring coats shed and their heavy winter coats in place; who could blame them?

Your move- When the warm weather halts all daylight activity you only have a few options; Waste your time sitting in a stand, stay home, or become aggressive. If deer are holding tight and not moving, then the only logical approach is for you to move on them. With a bow this can be a challenging task, and a skill that takes time to master.
If you have never tracked deer, or still hunted, I would suggest beginning with a piece of property that you have no plans to hunt in the immediate future. This way, if you bump deer out of the area, it will have no affect on future hunts. Secondly, I recommend finding a plat of land that is at least a square mile (more than likely public land). It will give you the ability to be versatile in approaching deer without running out of room to maneuver.

The art of still hunting could be written in an abbreviated version the length of a collection of encyclopedias, but basic strategy is to move slowly through the woods, and using optics every couple of steps to glass your surroundings. The rule of thumb is to move as slow as you possibly can, and then move slower. Once you locate a deer, the fun begins. You need to use wind direction, terrain, and a little intuitive guess work to close the gap between you and your prey. There is a steep learning curve, and all the books in the world wouldn’t be able to teach you what you can learn by experience. Each stalk will be different, meaning each time you will be able to learn something new. Your success rate will be low(extremely low at first), but the rate of deer encounters will be higher than any tree stand you have ever sat in.

Checking the local weather should be an everyday habit. Knowing the wind speed and direction, temperatures, barometric pressures, and watching for storm fronts can all pay dividends. After a storm front when low pressure moves out and high pressure follows, the barometer will rise, the temperature will drop and the deer will once again be on their feet. Climb back into your stand the first morning after a storm and wait for an incredible hunt.

The October lull really isn’t a lull in deer moving activity, its simply a lull in a hunter’s perception of activity. During this time if you are hunting in the wrong place, the only one to blame is you. If you stay confident, stay aggressive, change with current deer activity, stay away from high pressure areas, read the moon phases, and watch the weather, you are on track to having a successful season.