the best few days of the entire hunting season are just around the corner.

Once Halloween gets here, it's time to start putting in some serious time in the stand!

If you follow the lunar calendar, I read this:

"According to Alsheimer’s Lunar Calendar, major “seeking” behavior should pick up around October 30th and continue until around November 6th, when major “chasing” should begin. This wild rutting frenzy will continue until around November 14th when the “tending” phase should be beginning and the “lockdown” period will follow shortly.

So what does this mean for hunters? If you tend to believe these predictions, it would mean that the typical “prime time” of the first week or two of November should be, as usual, the best time to be in the woods! According to this prediction, October 30 – November 13th should be some of the best hunting of the entire season, when the most seeking and chasing will be happening, which is in fact the “rutting behavior” that hunters are most interested in seeing."

Cool...Im ready!

I have hunted everyday since Oct 1 and will till the last day of the season.

I love me some November. But, a buddy just showed me a video shot this morning of three bucks chasing a doe in a grassy area between cornfields. Two were very nice. I'm ready. I hunted two days this weekend and saw only smaller bucks.

And have 177 hours in. Ready to get LOTS more.

I'm on vacation(as I am each year) Halloween thru opening weekend of gun season. Every year we see the same action as the chase phase increases daily until about November 12th.

The moon phase CAN NOT have any effect on breeding dates as it could move as much as 25 days in a given year. A shift of this magnitude would have fawns dropped a month late, mother nature(God) has it planned they are born in the optimum nutritional dates for their mothers.

There is no scientific data that supports moon phase affecting fawn birth dates. If you check on cranium-rump measurements you will find most whitetails (mature) are bred between Nov 10 and Nov 15 each year. Some early and some late but less than 5% over all.

What I will say without scientific data is bucks are much more visible between 10 and 4 on a daily basis than early morning and late afternoon. My theory is the mature buck has the urge to bed down at dawn. His need to breed overtakes his survival instinct and he gets up from bedding after a couple of hours. Again he neeeds to catch a "nap" late afternoon before he goes searching after dark. The only support I can give to my theory is Boone and Crockett records show the best dates and times to kill is November 4th-8th and majority are killed between 10am and 4pm. What is not factored is hunter movement in and out of woods by traditional "hunt till around noon hunters, then evening hunters".

My prediction is the opening of gun season will be a great day to be in the woods as the breeding season will be winding down and bucks will be searching hard for a receptive doe. Hunt hard as an archery hunter untli Nov 10th, lock down for big bucks as usual is from Nov 10th until Nov 15th.

Hunt where the does are, forget where you have buck photos of them feeding....... they ARE NOT feeding! Find the does and hunt down wind of where they feed and bed.

85% of rubs are done at night, I'm not going to hunt on a 15% chance. Scrapes are good until about November 8th when does are beginning to cycle, I'll take those odds. Looked at camera pics over past two weeks, not one scrape was visited in morning hours......6pm to daylight several pictures.

My son and I have killed several book bucks and most have been taken November 4-8th or November 16-28. One was killed December 21st (in its bed). Maybe a proven track record.

Good luck to all......... one thing I can tell you is....... none was killed from the sofa.......LOL.

Have to say I'm a little envious of all of this time off you guys have on your hands to hunt. Enjoy it, and good luck.

Good luck to all, and be safe. My desire to deer hunt has diminished.

I'm looking at Nov 3-7 as my best time to take off this year from work I think the mid day hunt is appealing more to me the older I get. I saw something in the current issue of Outdoor life that said the mid day was effective because mature bucks scent check doe groups while they are congregated in bedding areas to locate near estrous does. Sounds good fo me! Sure hope it's rockin that week.

Weed, maybe some easy mid-day sittin will get you eased back in! I know I'm not as fired up as years past either. I had as much fun in camp as in the tree last weekend. Ended up frying up a nice mess of shaggy manes. Really looking for the younger guys in our group to have a good year. But, seeing a nice buck will get me amped, I'm sure! Seeing several small bucks so hopefully it's about to break loose.

I don't think moon phase effects the actual "breeding dates" but I think it can effect overall activity and what time of day they are active and feeding.

More than ready. Be in woods for 3 days this weekend two days next then I'm on vacation for last 2 days of bow season and the first 9 days of gun season. I usually take last week of bow off but I'm trying it a little different this year and going first week of gun. I'll tell ya switching from a recurve to a slug gun almost feels like I'm cheating but I'm only evening the playing field a bit. Good luck to everyone.

+1

I sure hope my deer sightings go up only been out on 3 evening hunts only have seen 1 spike & no doe.Have gotten several nice bucks on cameera & bunch of doe but all between 8pm - 5 am

This weekend looks promising!!! Heading down to Orange County after work Saturday to hunt sunday-monday

I'm ready to toss some lead at doves Sunday morning!

The little bucks are on it this morning. Wind isn't bothering them any.

That's what I figured Yaz. I'm sitting out today, traveling to a big birthday party later. Saw ten deer yesterday morning on stand with five bucks. Best was a border line eight that came about 60 yards away. Did see some half hearted chasing.

Sat this one out today. Been a it hard the past few days. May try this evenng. So far I have passed 6 small bucks. Seen one huge one at 80 yards this week. I have more encounters this year than in years past. Now just hunting for the right one. Be safe guys.

In stand on what would seem to be the best day so far with the hard frost and cold and calm had a doe and fawn come by about 40 yds no buck or rutting activity yet

Wonderful morning to watch the sun come up from the stand. 5 does, and 3 little bucks so far.

6 does and fawns, still at it the farmer just started cutting the corn by me so I guess I will wait a while see if anything comes out

Last night was awesome. Rattled in a few small bucks and one nicer 8 pointer. Saw 14 deer and at least 7 bucks. Action from 4:00 until dark.

Hoping for more of the same tonight. Different stand but same farm. Wind appears to be a little more in my favor this evening!

I have only seen one mature doe this year(plenty on the cams) and she was being pushed by a awesome 2.5yr old 6pt last evening. This weekend I saw a total of 8 different bucks with one being what I call a giant. I could not convince him there was actually a deer standing there. Watched a yearling basket rack shred a sapling last evening also

That's the reason I quit at noon.....time to shell some corn. I'll be back up in the stand by "deer:30" though!!!

Came a lot closer than I like to a skunk on the way out of my woods this evening! First time I have ever encountered one. I shined my light at him, he stopped briefly, and kept coming! Within 10 yards i shined him again, and he finally turned and waddled into the corn. My heart was pounding!!!! Then to top off the night, I barely missed a buck via my F250, 2 miles from the house!

I hunted Saturday and Sunday evening, saw 4 buttons and one forky. h.h.

Had a 6 point run by me all by himself at about 7 he cover a quarter mile in about 20 seconds. And just had a doe run by mouth open but so far nothing with her. I would say for those who are working you might need to start thinking bout getting sick lol

I saw 3 does yesterday with a little 6 pointer a few minutes behind, as I call it blood hounding them. I could have shot one of the does but they kept looking back from the way they came! I knew there was a buck was just hoping for a little bigger guy. Its on! Im off for the next three days and then next week as well. Its time to be in the stand!

They are moving. Nothing huge yet, but they are moving. Going to get real good over the next week. Time to be in the tree stand!

Yep… I watched 5 different little bucks out cruising this weekend. Won't be long till the older deer get cranked up!!

Yesterday was first time out this year to farm I have permission on. Only action was 9:45 - 1:45, and outside of that was nothing.

8 deer in all including 6 doe. A doe came out to field edge to feed, then quickly turned back into woods..sure enough, a "decent" buck coming to check her out, grunting the whole way. ("decent buck" is certainly open to interpretation on this site, but I would have been happy with him. 130 class I would guess)

I grunted back and kept him around, was able to stand, turn, and draw, but my arrow clipped a limb and dove into beans short of him

Still replaying that one in my head! Can't wait to get out there next weekend!

High winds seem to have slowed it down a bit this morning

A friend, and HH forum member (MadDogMech) killed a nice 10 this morn! Congrats G!

Stay at it Animal!

Sunday morning was pretty active.. saw a small 8 dogging a doe... played w/ the buck roar with him... and then a few other does...

My dad & his buddy saw a nice 10 w/ a doe... and my dad was quite suprised to see that he was decent... cuz he expected him to be a little buck getting excited this early..

Then this morning I saw a Forky & 2 spikes sparring... then nothing as the temps climbed...

Can't wait till the big boys get moving!!!

grunted in a small forkie last night. Still have not seen a big one on his feet during daylight yet.

couldnt get out today until 2pm due to dr appointment but saw a couple spikes around 5:30 no does at all not able to get back out until monday due to chemo so good luck to all

Keep at it man! Prayers and good thoughts headed yer way!

No woories weedhooper i
know the lord is walking right by my side & will see me trough this so i can see my youngest son & grandkids fill t here first tag

You have a good attitude Moonbeam. I hope your hunts are memorable and successful! I had two friends tell me they saw mature bucks yesterday afternoon in big fields. Hunt as much as you can this weekend!