October Tricks
October is here, and archers are looking to put a buck in the truck. Bucks have recently shed their velvet, changed feeding sources, and are beginning to challenge each other for supremacy. Hunters are watching weather apps and other informational deer-hunting apps for an advantage. Trail cameras are working overtime watching scrapes and bedrooms. Now is the time to incorporate some tricks to bring those bucks into bow range.
I run mock scrapes year-round, but when October arrives, I begin to focus on them daily. Bucks are mostly nocturnal and are most active when hunters can't be in the stand. Regardless of the nighttime activity, I like to start introducing a new buck to the area to put the other bucks on notice. One of the first things I will do is make a huge scrape in an area where I know the bucks will be traveling. By using Preorbital, Forehead, Tarsal, and Interdigital Gland Lures, I can see how each buck responds to the new intruder. Trail cameras near the scrapes give me valuable information like travel patterns, the time they hit the scrape, and how aggressive they react to the new buck.
These bucks became very aggressive around the new mock scrape.
Once I place my new mock scrapes in the area, I look for a spot to place some drippers. Drippers are a great tool because they drip during the day and not at night. In my drippers, I run Smokey's Deer Drip. I have had a ton of success with Smokey's Deer Drip. The bucks really like the smell of the mix. As October moves towards November, I see more daylight activity at the drippers. A strategically placed dripper can place a mature buck where you want him.
Buck checking out the scent from the dripper.
Buck Interdigital Gland lure is something I always have with me when heading to my stand. As I get closer to my stand, I will put a few drops on the bottom of my boots and walk to the mock scrape I made. Bucks and does pick up on the scent of the gland lure and walk towards the mock scrape. I have killed numerous bucks and does out of my mock scrape using this trick.
This buck followed my steps to the mock scrape only two hours after I made it.
Buck Cages and liquid Evercalm are an amazing combination in October. Buck Cages allow a hunter to use any liquid lure, not oil-based, to entice deer into bow range. I will place three buck cages around my stand each time I go hunting. I have found that placing the Buck Cages 2 feet off the ground has worked best. Hanging the Buck Cages can put the deer on alert and not work in your favor.
Decoys are fun to use in October and have been known to fool a mature buck. I have a buck decoy and a doe decoy and like to use them both. Early in October, I prefer to use the buck decoy as aggression is high, and deer are beginning to challenge each other for superiority. Later in the month, I switch to the doe decoy and make sure she smells inviting to the bucks. While using decoys, I run my Wyndscent products under the decoy. It is fun to watch deer interact with the decoys. In 2021, I killed my buck while using the doe decoy. It was one of the most memorable hunts I have ever experienced.
The first buck I killed while using a decoy.
Smokey's Doe Interdigital Plus is my favorite product to break out in late October. This new product from Smokey is unbelievable. Smokey mixes a small amount of estrus into this gland lure, and the bucks love it. The trick to using this lure is timing. If you use it too early, you will not get the desired results. This gland lure makes bucks believe a doe is starting to enter estrus. When I walk to my stand, I apply a few drops of this product on one boot and buck interdigital in the other. This tactic works well for me because I create the illusion of a buck pursuing a doe. I also use this lure with my doe decoy setup.
Interdigital Plus is great!
I want to wish everyone the best of luck this fall. Hopefully you can incorporate some of these strategies this fall while chasing your target buck. Stay safe, wear a harness, and keep shooting your bow! Don't forget to go to the Home page and subscribe to the page. You will be entered into each monthly drawing that occurs.
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