Realtree's Deer Hunting Forecast: October 18-25

It’s as if a long fuse was lit earlier this week, and deer hunters in all corners of the country are patiently watching it burn. Although the whitetail and mule deer ruts are still several weeks away in most places, our regional rut reporters had good things to say about the hunting opportunities happening right now. Seasons are changing, deer are transitioning to fall food sources, and bucks are growing impatient with one another. Rubs and scrapes are popping up everywhere, and in much of the country, the past few mornings have had a nice fall chill in the air.

MOON AND WEATHER

Last week’s full super moon altered daylight deer patterns a bit, throwing some hunters for a loop, but the challenges were largely offset by a big cold front that swept through the eastern United States at the same time. In some regions, daytime highs plummeted 20 degrees overnight, and a few areas saw the first frost of the year. The weather put deer on their feet. Meanwhile, much of the western United States remained unseasonably warm.

The waning gibbous moon phase this weekend should spur better deer movement during the more traditional early morning and late evening hours, and our Best Days to Deer Hunt in 2024 points to today, Oct. 18, as the “unofficial start” of the heaviest scraping activity of the year. Meanwhile, Realtree’s Fish & Game Forecaster shows a lot of promise for hunting on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, with excellent movement predicted between 4 and 6 p.m. Though it’s supposed to warm up again in most of the East over the weekend, the forecast is still pleasant for deer hunting. Western hunters, many of whom are chasing post-rut elk right now, can expect a cool down. Overall, we again give next week’s hunting forecast 3 out of 5 stars, with the better hunting likely happening toward the end of the week.

REGIONAL HUNTING UPDATES

Midwest Rut Reporter Darron McDougal, who lives in Wisconsin, says that daylight deer activity slowed last week over his mock scrapes, and the same was true on the trail cameras that his sister was running in South Dakota. But fresh buck sign is appearing by the day across the Midwest. In this week’s report, McDougal’s contacts in states such as Ohio, Missouri, and Nebraska all pointed to decent activity recently, and one outfitter suggested that, based on what he’s seeing, a slightly earlier-than-normal rut could be in store. READ THE FULL MIDWEST RUT REPORT HERE

Southeast Rut Reporter Stephanie Mallory says the movement this past week has been slower because of unseasonably warm weather and falling acorns. In her home state of Alabama, where the rut is still months away, look to find deer hitting oak flats as well as soft mast such as persimmons. Mallory’s contacts in Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, and the Carolinas all reported much the same. Acorns are key right now where you can find them. The Southeast rut timing is all over the map, but a fair bit of buck sign is showing up in the northern stretches of the region, and a few little bucks are starting to bump does around. READ THE FULL SOUTHEAST REPORT HERE

Timothy Kent, reporting from New York, says that early season deer activity is at its peak right now. New rubs and scrapes are showing up daily, although the main event is still weeks away. Kent says that bucks are still in loose bachelor groups where he hunts, but barely tolerating one another. He says the spiking testosterone levels in bucks combined with still-predictable feeding patterns make this one of his favorite times of the year to punch a tag. READ THE FULL NORTHEAST RUT REPORT HERE

Miles Fedinec, reporting from southern Colorado, shared updates on elk and pronghorn, which many hunters in his area are chasing right now during early rifle seasons. The rut activity has been good for both species but is about finished now. Coastal blacktails are still rutting in California, and Fedinec says he’s noticed some pre-rut activity from local mule deer. Bachelor groups of bucks are beginning to break up, and Fedinec says now is a time to keep an eye on travel corridors. He expects to hear of whitetail rut activity coming soon from the Texas Hill Country. READ THE FULL SOUTHWEST REGION RUT REPORT HERE

Jackie Holbrook shared updates from Oregon, Idaho, and Washington this week, where drought conditions continue to fuel wildfire concerns, but also where some early season hunters have found success on mule deer and whitetails. Holbrook’s Oregon contacts had enjoyed a successful rifle opener for mule deer, and they reported bucks still holding in bachelor groups. Unfortunately, a deer tested positive for CWD in Washington in early August, causing the state to implement a response plan in areas that includes mandatory testing and carcass transport restrictions. READ THE FULL NORTHWEST REGION REPORT HERE