If you could pick any week?
- Thread starter Monster Raxx
- Start date
Statistically, the majority of archery taken buckeye big bucks are killed during the first half of November. The majority of archery B&C's are taken the second half of the month.
My boys and I have our 30 best bucks hanging on the wall here in our home. Their combined average net score is 150" and were taken on the following dates:
9/24, 9/28, 10/1, 10/3, 10/4, 10/10, 10/17, 10/24, 10/26, 10/27, 10/30, 10/31, 11/1, 11/1, 11/2, 11/4, 11/8, 11/15, 11/15, 11/15, 11/16, 11/17, 11/22, 11/23, 11/26, 12/22, 12/24, 1/21, 1/22, and 1/28.
A "rough" analysis of our success suggests the first week of the season, a couple days either side of Halloween and the middle of November as peak times for us to be in the woods...no revelations there...the pumpkin people pretty much f'up the month of December and if I had to pick 1 day to hunt it would be November 15th...again, nothing secret about that.
I think our success is more indicative of the area and terrain that we hunt and certainly very regional in scope. There is next to no agriculture here. The deer are highly pressured during archery season and that pressure increases through the middle of November and then drops off until gun week. I think this has a lot to do with why so many top end bucks are taken during the second half of the month. There is no, "waiting for the corn to come off" in this part of the state. IMO, the hardest aspect of getting within bow range of a trophy buck in SE Ohio is locating one and then getting on him before someone else does or before the numb-nuts make him unkillable.
My boys and I have our 30 best bucks hanging on the wall here in our home. Their combined average net score is 150" and were taken on the following dates:
9/24, 9/28, 10/1, 10/3, 10/4, 10/10, 10/17, 10/24, 10/26, 10/27, 10/30, 10/31, 11/1, 11/1, 11/2, 11/4, 11/8, 11/15, 11/15, 11/15, 11/16, 11/17, 11/22, 11/23, 11/26, 12/22, 12/24, 1/21, 1/22, and 1/28.
A "rough" analysis of our success suggests the first week of the season, a couple days either side of Halloween and the middle of November as peak times for us to be in the woods...no revelations there...the pumpkin people pretty much f'up the month of December and if I had to pick 1 day to hunt it would be November 15th...again, nothing secret about that.
I think our success is more indicative of the area and terrain that we hunt and certainly very regional in scope. There is next to no agriculture here. The deer are highly pressured during archery season and that pressure increases through the middle of November and then drops off until gun week. I think this has a lot to do with why so many top end bucks are taken during the second half of the month. There is no, "waiting for the corn to come off" in this part of the state. IMO, the hardest aspect of getting within bow range of a trophy buck in SE Ohio is locating one and then getting on him before someone else does or before the numb-nuts make him unkillable.
Good stuff, Mike. You make an excellent point... Guys need to really take location and hunting pressure into account when determining the "best week" to be in the woods. That's something I haven't really thought about much. But for the past 9 or 10 years, I've been in southeast Ohio during the first half of November, so I've damn near forgotten what the farm bucks do during that time of year. lmao
Good stuff Mike.
I do put alot of stock in the moon phase movement. The moon effects alot of things on our planet. I'd be curious as to what the moon phases were on those 30 days you and your boys killed those bucks. It always seems to me that I see much more daytime movement of shooter bucks during the new moon phase and a few days before and after it. This has been my observations over the years anyway.
I do put alot of stock in the moon phase movement. The moon effects alot of things on our planet. I'd be curious as to what the moon phases were on those 30 days you and your boys killed those bucks. It always seems to me that I see much more daytime movement of shooter bucks during the new moon phase and a few days before and after it. This has been my observations over the years anyway.
Rutin
Senior Member
dante322
*Supporting Member*
The thing about the moon, Since the begging of time there has been one thing that can be considered "constant". The lunar phases.
From one year to the next, Temps can change, so can percipitation and barometeric pressures. This year there might be more hunters in the woods.... Nothing can be predicted. But the lunar cycles are always the same. It isnt just about the moon either, it has a lot to do with the amount of daylight. A deer dosent have a calendar or a farmers almanac. It knows what is going on around it All it knows is that the days are getting shorter, the leaves in the trees are changing color and falling off, the food sources are changing, and its getting cooler ar night. that is what triggers breeding.
I agree that hunting around a full moon is tough, and that the new moon is more active.
Iam still a novice when it comes to deer hunting but in the few years I've been out there I have noticed more activity around the new moon in the middle of november.
From one year to the next, Temps can change, so can percipitation and barometeric pressures. This year there might be more hunters in the woods.... Nothing can be predicted. But the lunar cycles are always the same. It isnt just about the moon either, it has a lot to do with the amount of daylight. A deer dosent have a calendar or a farmers almanac. It knows what is going on around it All it knows is that the days are getting shorter, the leaves in the trees are changing color and falling off, the food sources are changing, and its getting cooler ar night. that is what triggers breeding.
I agree that hunting around a full moon is tough, and that the new moon is more active.
Iam still a novice when it comes to deer hunting but in the few years I've been out there I have noticed more activity around the new moon in the middle of november.
Buckslayer
*Supporting Member*
Last week of oct for me...although this year I believe Ill be shootin pheasants in SD, so I guess Ill hunt the first week of november.
So. Ohio Outfitters
Junior Member
statistically from what I see at my place, the action majorly picks up from the 4th - 11th I think