When do you prep for October??

I start sighting in my muzzleloader , water proofing my boots and cleaning my truck , inside & out , because it is not going to get cleaned again until march .

I prep for October about August. I break out the bow, check it over really good. I check strings, cables, cams, limbs etc. And I'll break out my 3D targets. I have deer, turkey, coyote, and hog 3D's. I'll shoot about 30-40 arrows on the first day. Or until I get tired. Rarely shoot farther than 50 yards to start. And I'll take a break for a few days allowing my muscles to heal (and usually my ego). See, I also blowfish quite a bit. But I shoot a recurve bowfishing. It's similar muscle memory. But not the same. Within 2 weeks I'll easily be flinging 50-75 a day. Still no farther than 50 yards. Come September, I start at 40 and go to 75 yards. If I shoot less than 40 yards I start breaking nocks and tearing veins because I shoot for groups only. Although I set my targets up for broadside, quartering to, and quartering away. I'll move the targets and shoot from different locations. Shoot mornings, and evenings. I think shooting in poor lighting really helps when season rolls around.

As for gear, I don't have a whole lot to get ready. I hunt pigs through the year so most of my hunting clothes are dual purpose. My climbing stand, a Summit Razor, is stored separate from the seat in the barn. The seat and back rest I keep in my closet (no mice). All the clothes get a good wash in ScentAway. Hunting pigs in Oklahoma, I use a LOT of Deep Woods OFF. So I want to wash as much of that away as I can. My grunt call is on a lanyard in my closet. So nothing to lose there. Broad heads are kept on hunting arrows I know fly true. Actually all my arrows fly true because I tune them.

I scout while I pig hunt throughout the year. So I really don't have to do anything there. If I find a good place while I'm out, I mark it on my phone's GPS.

Come the night of Sept 30th, I gather all my stuff, lay my clothes out, and go to bed.

This year, it's a pipe dream though. Nursing school, clinicals, and two jobs will take almost all my time. The good news is I have hunted where I hunt so much that I can pretty much just walk in, climb up, and I've got a good chance at harvesting. But if I don't, it still beats the hell out of sitting in a classroom or going to clinicals being babysat. So yeah, if I get the opportunity, I'm definitely going.

As for rifle season, well, I pig hunt. So I don't really need to practice that.

Whats in October?



Im kidding.


Out here we dont have "seasons" so much as times when certain areas are closed or open.
That said, any special hunt i know about in advance gets a month or so worth of prep time. My last one i cut it too close, and found out they day before i got on the plane that the new scope i put on my muzzy was bad. I dont like scrambling, hunting supposed to be fun........

Probably around mid August I take my recurve to the woods and do woods walk stump shoots. It is good shooting practice and good distance judgement practice.

Squirrel season is open then too if you can catch one on the ground

About a month prior I'll start putting out bait and cams, and practicing with the crossbow and rifles I use.

I sight my deer rifle in during the summer before the ranges get busy. Then I do nothing until the week of opening day.

BigBore44 said:

I prep for October about August. I break out the bow, check it over really good. I check strings, cables, cams, limbs etc. And I'll break out my 3D targets. I have deer, turkey, coyote, and hog 3D's. I'll shoot about 30-40 arrows on the first day. Or until I get tired. Rarely shoot farther than 50 yards to start. And I'll take a break for a few days allowing my muscles to heal (and usually my ego). See, I also blowfish quite a bit. But I shoot a recurve bowfishing. It's similar muscle memory. But not the same. Within 2 weeks I'll easily be flinging 50-75 a day. Still no farther than 50 yards. Come September, I start at 40 and go to 75 yards. If I shoot less than 40 yards I start breaking nocks and tearing veins because I shoot for groups only. Although I set my targets up for broadside, quartering to, and quartering away. I'll move the targets and shoot from different locations. Shoot mornings, and evenings. I think shooting in poor lighting really helps when season rolls around.

As for gear, I don't have a whole lot to get ready. I hunt pigs through the year so most of my hunting clothes are dual purpose. My climbing stand, a Summit Razor, is stored separate from the seat in the barn. The seat and back rest I keep in my closet (no mice). All the clothes get a good wash in ScentAway. Hunting pigs in Oklahoma, I use a LOT of Deep Woods OFF. So I want to wash as much of that away as I can. My grunt call is on a lanyard in my closet. So nothing to lose there. Broad heads are kept on hunting arrows I know fly true. Actually all my arrows fly true because I tune them.

I scout while I pig hunt throughout the year. So I really don't have to do anything there. If I find a good place while I'm out, I mark it on my phone's GPS.

Come the night of Sept 30th, I gather all my stuff, lay my clothes out, and go to bed.

This year, it's a pipe dream though. Nursing school, clinicals, and two jobs will take almost all my time. The good news is I have hunted where I hunt so much that I can pretty much just walk in, climb up, and I've got a good chance at harvesting. But if I don't, it still beats the hell out of sitting in a classroom or going to clinicals being babysat. So yeah, if I get the opportunity, I'm definitely going.

As for rifle season, well, I pig hunt. So I don't really need to practice that.

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I love to hunt but it sounds like you have your priorities right. The medical profession is a good one to get into with all of us old baby boomers needing care. Keep your nose in the books and in a few years you can hunt any thing or any where you want.

The rifles are shot the year around so there are no surprises there. I usually start shooting my bow everyday in July or August. Pretty familiar with the farms that I hunt having hunted the area for several years. The deer are fairly predictable until the acorns come off. Then I have hunt them. September is a good time to scout deer and thin out coyotes and armadillos.

I may set out a timed feeder but when the acorns hit the ground all it does is feed the turkeys. We have set out small food plots on a couple of farms and have been good for does and bambis. Have never had a good buck come in to them during daylight. If I want meat I may hunt the feeder or plots, but for good bucks I hunt the scrapes. Our BP season in mid-October is the best time to sit over a scrape.

My rifle is also shot all year. I'll still put 3 or 4 through it the week before opener. I cut it close every year. Like one day close. The truck gets loaded Friday morning, I head to camp Friday afternoon, I'm in the stands Saturday a.m.

Captcurt said:

I love to hunt but it sounds like you have your priorities right. The medical profession is a good one to get into with all of us old baby boomers needing care. Keep your nose in the books and in a few years you can hunt any thing or any where you want.

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Thanks Captcurt. That's the plan. 1-2 years of no life for a lifetime of financial security and freedom.

red rick said:

I start sighting in my muzzleloader , water proofing my boots and cleaning my truck , inside & out , because it is not going to get cleaned again until march .

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we must be related! LOL. my truck still has sticks, straps, and a few other things in the bed.

I have about 8 farms i hunt every animal on and about 2-3 i deer hunt on so around end of July the cameras go out, do a little walking around, trail tack some trees. Ohio's bow opener is end of September so around mid august the hang on stands go up along with sticks. This year its 100% climber or a millennium with 3 sticks cause I'm tired of taking stuff down each march. I shoot my bow around beginning of July until season and about once a week during season.

I go around now and get my slips signed before anyone beats me to it. climber and stands get aired out 3 weeks before season, clothes washed 3 weeks before and left hang outside until opening day and then inside a waterproof camping bag. Gun season doesn't start until first of December so i don't mess with the guns until about mid November.

I start shooting the crossbow in July after I get the results of the state's drawings for permits. I only hunt public land so no food plots (except for a dove field), feeders, game cameras, etc.

I tend to shoot muzzleloaders and rifle throughout the year so no real prep there except loading up Nosler Partitions in the cases.

Bow season starts about Sept. 15 here and I try to scout all the areas I can hunt to see how much activity is happening. Scouting too soon gives you Summer patterns, not the same patterns you will see in hunting season.

SoonerMedic said:

So, like the title says....at what point do you really begin to get serious about prepping for deer season?? What do you do? What do you prefer? What have you had success with and what has been a big flop??

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This year i planted three plots with black eyed peas. One was planted too early; it will be re-planted tomorrow. Those plots will be hit hard by the deer and probably not mature. They will be re-planted with winter rye and oats in early September.



We run feeders to supplement the diets of does and fawns. It works too: Last Thursday evening i saw a two year old buck i had never seen before. With him was "baby deer" a one year old buck i know well. He was the only fawn i've seen on our lease in two years. The corn fed one year old has larger antlers than the two year old.

We plant horse feed oats and sometimes they freeze out. Chilocco oats won't freeze out in OK but the seed is expensive.

The premier fall/winter food plot is Austrian winter peas; deer love the things.

We also keep the trails brush hogged. Make a trail through the brush and the deer will follow same.

alsaqr said:

This year i planted three plots with black eyed peas. One was planted too early; it will be re-planted tomorrow. Those plots will be hit hard by the deer and probably not mature. They will be re-planted with winter rye and oats in early September.



We run feeders to supplement the diets of does and fawns. It works too: Last Thursday evening i saw a two year old buck i had never seen before. With him was "baby deer" a one year old buck i know well. He was the only fawn i've seen on our lease in two years. The corn fed one year old has larger antlers than the two year old.

We plant horse feed oats and sometimes they freeze out. Chilocco oats won't freeze out in OK but the seed is expensive.

The premier fall/winter food plot is Austrian winter peas; deer love the things.

We also keep the trails brush hogged. Make a trail through the brush and the deer will follow same.

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Throw a handful of turnip seed out. We had a 2 acre plot of ladino clover and threw out some turnips. I have seen deer walk across the clover to get to the turnips. They would eat the tops and didn't dig up the turnips until after a freeze. I was told that the turnips get sweeter after they are frozen.

I've been using a feeder for 30 years. I'm playing with food plots now, but the rain flooded us a couple months ago. And, the danged pigs came in a few months back and tore the place up pretty good. Probably need t re-seed the clover.

I'll get out the crossbow in August one cloudy afternoon (to avotd the sun) and get re-acquainted with it. It doesn't take the practice than bows do, though. I shoot year around just for fun and all my rifles are ready, specifically my .308 which is my go to.

SoonerMedic said:

Do you or have you considered minerals? From what I understand a salt block or bag with other minerals (calcium and potassium mainly) and protein promotes better antler growth.

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Salt and mineral blocks work well in areas without cattle.

Went to the place north of Elmore City today. Tractor started overheating while brush hogging: Plot was not re-planted. In a week or two i'll brush around the old house.