The Lull

[Friend]

The Lull can be tough....

[rastaman]

Ours are just starting to get frisky down here. The next 3-4 weeks should be crazy!

[Friend]

Running 45 cams....11 of which are cells...

Typically getting 3500 to 4000 pics/night and 150 to 200 during the day from the 11 cell cams from Oct 1 to Oct 14...

750 to 1000 pics/night...2 to 15 pics during the day from the 11 cell cams from Oct 17 to Oct 24th....


The Lull hits us every year, however, not as intense as this year.

Note: Heavy mast of acorns this year.

[Bowguy67]

Why do you guys think the lull exists? I believe it's obvious but curious

[kennym]

Around here, my only theory is that's about acorn drop starting and they don't have to travel as much. Or they resting up for the big show.

[J. Cook]

Deer don't stop feeding, and they don't stop moving.  The "lull" is really the result of the larger family groups and bachelor groups breaking up and going their own way and a change in food sources.  This gives the appearance of less deer movement because when you used to see a group of 5 bucks every day at x time, you will now see 1 buck, maybe another, etc. and they are searching and preparing for the rut to come. 

The change occurs as their summer food sources change - farmers cut their corn, harvest their crops, etc.  Green fields are browning and losing nutritional value.  They simply change their patterns this time of year.  In the coming weeks, the bucks will become singularly focused and will become more visible obviously. 

I do agree that whatever you were hunting in September (food, travel, etc.) likely is no longer producing as well.  That's not because the deer quit eating and moving, or disappeared, they simply changed their pattern, as should we.   

[Tim Finley]

They just become more nocturnal by the end of Sept. we dont have acorns, but we have beans, corn and sunflowers and many acres of green volunteer barley our state is a giant food plot and now with miss management by our game and fish and winter kill we have hardly any deer left .  So we have a massive lull !

[Wudstix]

I think it is a combination of changing food source(s) and perhaps a rest prior to rut, but I see bucks searching prior as well.  Break up of bachelor and family groups may play into that.

[MCNSC]

I've always wondered if it doesn't have something to do with the noise level with the dry leaves. I've heard deer right at dark making all kinds of noise walking, I imagine they don't like that in the daylight.
Anyway I've been in a lull for several years now.