Regular as a dish of prunes

“Gotcha!” Does are a bundle of nerves in swirling winds. Learn to sit still.

It's possible, although somewhat unlikely, that some readers may have lain awake nights, wondering how to solve this deer-hunting problem. Here is a somewhat instant cure for your insomnia.

The mid-October deer lull is about as obvious as a train wreck, and almost as distressing to some huntera. It occurs every year about two weeks after the Oct. 1 bow season opener.

How many hunters realize this natural phenomenon occurs just as regular as the ticking of a Swiss-made watch? And it always seems to occur without much warning.

The deer lull happens every year by mid-October. Prepare now for it.

The deer seem to disappear. There may be minor movements just before dark, but most of the deer won't move to feeding areas until well after dark. I've watched this natural phenomenon occur at about the same time for many years, and sometime between Oct. 10-15, the animals seem to vanish. It happens almost everywhere in Michigan's 83 counties at about the same time, and it's as obvious as a heart attack when it occurs. The deer aren't moving as they have been.

There is no secret about what happens. The deer are shifting from their summer mode of feeding and traveling patterns, and are shifting into the pre-rut period. This change in deer travel patterns is as regular as a dish of prunes. Part of the reason is a normal reaction to more people in the woods than before.

Hunters can learn to detect this change. The wind frequently blows out of the east for two or three days, and we'll soon see the wind shift to the west or northwest. The shift in wind direction will cause deer movement to increase during an evening, and then everything will shift again to little or no travel. Trying to guess exactly when the occasional wind shift will occur is like trying to predict a Lotto win or the next Red Wings playoff victory, which we now know wil not occur for another year. Tuff luck this year!

Know what to expect during the deer lull and develop a strategy to combat it.

So, what can a hunter do? It's simple: develop some stands for east winds. If that isn't possible, hunt just before a storm or before wind direction changes. Try hunting just before a sudden temperature drop. Evening hunting should be a good time to be afield.

Some grunting and rattling can help if a hunter is positioned near bedding areas. It's very important to have the wind in your face when hunting downwind of where deer bed down. If the wind can be made to work in your favor, moderate rattling mixed with some aggressive grunting may trigger nearby buck movement.

It's been said many times that bow hunters must be on full alert at all times, and during this lull in deer movements, that advice has never been more important. The only deer you may see could be a buck that comes slipping in to your hunting area looking for another buck to whip on. The calling and rattling means having the bow ready to draw and shoot. If the leaves have fallen and we've had rain, a hunter will seldom hear the incoming deer or have much time to get prepared for a shot.

Try grunting and rattling and see if you can stir something up. It’s worth a try,

The deer may sneak in and then again it may come crashing in, looking for a scrap. Then again, if the weather stays nasty, the deer may not move at all. And that is the most probable scenario. The two-week deer lull is a resting-up time for deer before the stresses of the rut begin.

There are never any guarantees with deer hunting. Some hunters choose to wait out the lull by doing other things. I'm the eternal optimist, and feel that sitting in a tree stand during this two-week lull is better than doing household chores. It's a lot more fun, and who knows, a guy can get lucky once in a while.

That luck may be a rare sighting of a big buck as happened to me two  year. If he or another buck comes during the lull this year, I'll be ready and waiting. If he makes a mistake, I'll be there to capitalize on it and that is the key to success during this time period.

Title: Regular as a dish of prunes

Tags: ((Dave, Richey, Michigan, outdoors, deer, lull, mid-October, reduced, deer, movement, be, prepared, patience))

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors