Outside Iowa: The change with white tails
Just like this past spring and summer, this fall has been rather unpredictable.
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, every year we have nice cool October days followed by a heat wave that forces us to turn the AC on one more time.
But, one thing is for sure—this fall is shaping up to be interesting for the whitetail fanatic.
As predicted, the early harvest and some cooler temps have put the deer on their feet and my phone has been blowing up with “BBD” text messages and pictures of different giants hitting the dirt all across the state.
Seems early, but there are a lot of factors that seem to be making things good right now.
Some hunters are seeing bucks chasing does and what might seem like an early onset of the whitetail rut, however the cooler temps are encouraging the bucks to “feel their oats” and get a bit frisky.
As soon as their velvet comes off, the bucks are willing and able to pay more attention to their female counterparts.
These are classic signs of the pre-rut setting in, but keep in mind that the true rut will occur when it does every year—the first half of November.
Scrapes are getting hit daily, new rubs are appearing and daytime activity has certainly increased.
But the biggest change that hunters need to factor into their game plan is the food preference.
Most years oak mast would be dominating feeding efforts and that food source, in my opinion, is at the core of what hunters call the “October Lull”.
Since it was so dry this year, the acorn crop is minimal at best and in combination with roughly 75 percent of Iowa’s ag crops being harvested, I suggest looking to greens.
Alfalfa, clover or any implemented food plots are the busiest destination food sources right now, but don’t overlook any ag field that hasn’t been disced or turned over.
The does are hitting the food hard during daylight hours, but if the bucks are seemingly scarce, that is pretty standard for this time of year. But with cooler temps moving in and the rut fast approaching, they will be around at any time.
My cameras have all been placed over scrapes and nearly all of the buck activity is nocturnal, but I can see their movement shifting to early morning hours rather than evening.
I know what I see personally might not correspond with where you hunt, but many of my fellow whitetail fanatics are seeing the same thing.
For the next week or two, if you can get out in the mornings, I highly suggest it. Also, with each passing day, a buck’s temperament is changing also.
This makes calling and rattling very effective, although I would suggest keeping rattling to a minimum until a day or two within Oct. 25.
I have been keeping a detailed journal for years and the 25 seems to be the magical day for full-on rattling sequences.
The bottom line is the middle two weeks of October can be frustrating, but if you are willing to work hard and garner a better understanding of what is taking place right now, you could put yourself in the right place at the right time.
Find a hot food source, make sure your calls are handy and keep your head on a swivel, it could happen at any moment!
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me and I’ll help in any way I can!
Live It Up!
Thomas resides with his wife and two children in Guthrie Center. He is a professional outdoor writer, photographer, videographer, and outdoor talk radio show host; for more information visit www.outsideiowa.com.