Cold Front Has Midwestern Deer on Their Feet
Posted 2023-10-10 by
Good hunting weather has settled in, and another front is on the way this weekend.
It’s difficult to believe, but we’re kicking off another Midwest Rut Report. And we’re doing it in style amidst the best cold front of the season. The most recent October 5-7 cold snap dropped temperatures about 20 degrees, location depending.
Now, archery season is open in every state in the region, though some just recently kicked off on October 1. Still, the 2023 season started strong in most areas with some dandy early bow kills.
Realtree.com contributor Tyler Ridenour recently harvested a great 11-point Michigan buck — a product of the recent front. He said the buck was moving about an hour and a half before legal light ended, and Ridenour intercepted him deep in the timber.
I have trail cameras in Indiana and Ohio. These are showing good daylight deer movement. Bucks and does alike are moving. But they’re pulling off open fields and spending more time in the timber.
Though there’s little rut activity to report yet, overall daylight activity is good. Bucks are sparring some. Rubs are appearing and scrapes are dotting the landscape. But the true ramp up is still weeks away.
As we move deeper into October, focus on bed-to-feed patterns. A few soybean fields remain green and are still drawing deer. Cornfields are beginning to be harvested. But acorns are the true draw right now, with deer keying especially on white oaks. If white oaks aren’t present, find the reds that are falling. Either way, deer are targeting acorns, and hunters should be, too.
Looking ahead, another cold front is pushing through the end of the week. The westernmost states in the region (Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska) should see temperatures dropping around Thursday and Friday. The easternmost midwestern states (Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio) should see big drops by Saturday. That cold front will carry into the next week.
These early October cold fronts can be quite rare, and they are often just the thing for getting bucks on their feet during shooting light. Capitalize on the forecast and get yourself into a stand.
Don’t Miss: HOW TO READ DEER SIGN LIKE THE PROS
