Corn, Moon, Weather.
Posted By
indiana
at
11/8/2009 12:00:00 AM
A call today by editor Todd Stone brought something to my attention that I'd come to learn myself this week: the hunting is really tough right now. Traditionally November 7th has been the venerable starting pistol to the Primary Rut. Generally this date in the season has been all but magical for me personally with intense activity seen annually. I look forward to this day every year, but something happened to me this morning that is happening to many people all over Indiana-perhaps the entire Midwest. I got blanked on November 7th!
Actually it isn't as much of a surprise seeing how this whole past week has played out. I didn't hunt any mornings during the week because of work, but I hunted every evening. Each day I went to the woods to a couple of my finest stands full of anticipation. Each night (walking back to the truck in the the seeming full "daylight" of the full moon no less) I was a bit puzzled as to why the movement wasn't better. Knowing the November full moon would fall just before the traditional Rut dates for my neck of the woods gave me cause to celebrate earlier in the season. The same thing happened in 2006, and that years' Rut for me was phenomenal. I couldn't wait.
So, bucks and does are pairing up and hunting is tough, which begs the big question. Why? Well for starters that aforementioned full moon has kind of acted as a sort of paradox. The good news is that it should make for an intense and active Primary Rut; the bad news is that most of the activity that occurs during that same moon phase happens after dark. It also can cause morning hunting to be extra tough as deer are already in their daytime beds long before you and I get to our stands. Several people have told me how mornings this past week were horrible. In addition we have at least one other catalyst that is causing problems statewide.
All over Indiana, and the Midwest in general, thousands and thousands of standing cornfields are still up creating an abnormal amount of cover for deer to take refuge in. And, not only do they take to the corn for safety, but they like to breed in it as well. And if that isn't bad enough news now we have a warm front that is covering the entire region which causes it's own set of issues.
So, we've got tons of standing corn, a full moon that has caused issues, and unseasonably warm air temperatures that can all but cause a halt to any daylight movement during the Rut--when things are going good. That is the bad news. So you ask, is there any possible good news that can come from all of this seemingly negative information? The answer is a resounding...YES!
Hunting is tough now and everyone who hasn't scored is beating their brains out trying to figure out why this is happening to us. I can remember it well. Several years ago I called my friend and big buck expert, Sam Collora of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. I was struggling and he gave me the best advice anyone had upto that point.
Sam explained to me that I was trying too hard and that I was making things tough on myself. He told me to take a break, get some much needed rest and get away from deer hunting for a day, or so. Are you kidding me? One of the top big buck hunters in the midwest is telling me to take a break? In November?
So, that is just what I did (with a bit of reservation I might add). He also explained to me that I needed to slow down and let it come to me. That's right everyone. Take a mini-break, stop the hunting methods that aren't working for you right now and relax just a bit. Analyze your set ups and get ready to shake things up a bit. For starters get you and your cameraman in, or near the corn. I used to think that standing corn was the enemy, and that it's just a plain waste of time to hunt when there is a lot of standing maize in my areas. Big mistake!
One of the best places to be right now is on the edge of a standing cornfield and a woods edge. Fresh scrapes, or recent scrapes will tip you off to the best place to be. Another thing you could try is tote a ground blind out into a cornfield somewhere and give it a shot. You really have nothing to lose if you aren't seeing deer at your normal set ups.
Also don't forget this one obvious, but often overthought fact: it IS November. Your luck can change in a heart beat if you are in the right spot at the right time. It's easy to get a bit of burn out this time of year if you've hunted your tail off and have nothing to show for it. Settle down, enjoy yourself, don't forget how awesome it is to be able to pursue these magnificant animals, priase God for it, and SLOW down just a bit.
My 2006 Kansas hunt illustrates this point to a T. I was struggling in a drought ridden area during this same week and I wasn't seeing any shooters at all. To make matters worse a warm front came through and raised daytime temperatures into the 70s. The negative thoughts began to enter into my mind, but I remembered what Sam told me the year before. I pressed on, albeit slowly.
That evening I went out to my set-up and put up my buck decoy one more time. That evening, right after sunset, a testosterone jacked 9 pointer came in and slammed my faux friend, took a Gold Tip at 8 yards, and expired 40 yards later. It was 73 degrees when he hit the deck on, you guessed it...November 7th.
Keep after it guys. Take a short break and analyze your situation. Make a move if necessary and try to enjoy yourself. And, perhaps most importantly... let it come to you.
Go get yourself a big one everyone!
Dean Weimer
