Another Weekend Cold Front Sparking Flurry of Deer Action

Last week, we talked about a great cold front pushing through the Midwest. This week, another one rides its coattails, and the latest one is even better. In the coldest parts of the region, temperatures will dip down into the 30s. And even the southernmost parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio will see highs in the low 50s. It’s going to be a solid opportunity for those who can hunt Saturday through Wednesday.

Drilling down on specific areas, Simmons Sporting Goods’ and All Things Hunting’s Kyle Barefield said that bucks in Oklahoma are still in bachelor groups. Deer are hitting food sources hard but aren’t showing any signs of rut activity.

Bone Collector’s Nick Mundt has been in eastern Missouri, and he says scrapes are beginning to appear on the landscape. He’s even seeing some daylight action by small bucks that are checking does. “I had two mature bucks on back-to-back days show up at last light in a mowed corn plot, but couldn’t get a shot,” he said.

Up in Iowa, Midwest Whitetail’s Josh Sparks says things are still very early in the whitetail rut activity development. “Scraping activity is starting to increase, and with this recent weather we've been fortunate to have, mature buck activity has ticked up multiple clicks for sure,” Sparks said. “Food is the name of the game now, as we continue to creep toward the pre-rut in the back half of October. Though in the lull, as some would call it, the team is extremely eager for this weekend's timely conditions. A wind switch from south to north will be occurring, plus increasing pressure that will top out around 30.2. Is it the action-packed surprise that the rut brings with it? Not exactly, but we do expect some good hunting. Especially if you've got a general idea on where a buck is living and the food source he's currently keying on.”

Personally, I’m monitoring trail cameras in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. In Kentucky, I’m seeing increasing movement. In Indiana, I’ve seen three new bucks show up in as many days. And in Ohio, deer movement has picked up as well. The deer are moving better during daylight, too. Of course, there seems to be an acorn boom just about everywhere this year, so it’s important to hold tight to the white oaks, at least for the next couple weeks.

Good luck as we move into the weekend, and into the first of the week. Good deer hunting weather is here, especially for October. It’s time to be in a treestand.

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