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Suburban Hunting Better in Sep or Nov?

This is the 2nd consecutive year I've failed to take deer in November hunting 2 to 3 acre lots in zone 11. I chalk it up primarily to lack of effort. When I don't see mature deer on camera (mistake #1) I let life get in the way and fail to be in back yards. That said, after hunting suburban Fairfield County small lots exclusively for several years I believe I see more action in mid to late September than in November. This is supported by camera pics and actual hunting observations. I'm speculating suburban deer move more in early fall as food sources are more abundant/spread out. Longer daylight in September also increases the possibility of seeing deer while on stand. I've had success in the rut but believe that's been due to getting lucky/being in the right place at the right time. Any thoughts out there? Has anyone had more suburban success in November vs the early season? Thanks for any responses on admittedly a complex subject.

I also hunt small acre properties in zone 11 and see more deer in September. I always blame it on the pressures of being a suburban deer and the progression of hunting season. After a long summer the deer do not feel pressure from hunting and travel without fear or odd scents to alert. I can tell ya even out of hunting season they are targeted. My buck I shot in September had bebe and pellets in his rump. Must have got to close to some hippie liberals organic tomatoes!

Meat Hunter I have thought of this as well. I hunt MA bear season in September and literally almost see deer every time out. Come November and I have yet to see a deer. In my backyard I have deer everyday on cam at all hours of day. As soon as October hits they are either elsewhere hitting acorns or only on cam at night..

The deer you see early have been on that food all summer then the acorns drop deer move then the rut deer are moving all over you might get lucky end of December Jan deer don't have food they stare coming back to house to eat there bushes .If you bait then they come from all over .STEVE

Yup ,Sept oct I see more then again late dec,jan...once the rut hits I see them running the streets at night..pretty cool on how you can some times time them by the school bus routes..

Steve nailed it. Everybody and their brother throws down a pile a corn and the deer hit it all the time once the leaves drop.

Early November rut is great is the small plots you are on back up to a swamp or larger tracts. The bucks just cruise looking for does.

Funny you say that Thwack. A zone 11 doe I took this Halloween had a pellet in her rump too.

I have had a couple with pellets too.

Why all these pellets.. Is it buck shot or BB's?? And who would shoot a bb gun at a deer.. Jeez.. But to add to the topic if you guys remember when I first came on the site I had the same problem.. All these deer in September but as soon as Oct hit they seemed to vanish.. I was told and came to the conclusion they were changing from there summer feeding patterns to there fall and rut patterns..

The one I found looked like an air gun pellet. I'm guessing people are annoyed with deer eating their landscaping/flowers and shoot to scare them off. Could be kids, but with so many instances on just this thread I'm guessing it's homeowners/adults.

I wouldn't be so quick to paint every property with a the same brush. In my experience It all depends on the property you are hunting. I know most of my properties are very small and seem to fall into the category that you guys have described. But, I have a friend who hunts a bit bigger property and usually sees nothing until the rut and then it goes dead again in Dec.

Take your cameras down. They will only confuse you. Your major contributors to time of day movement are school buses, working 9-5's and soccer moms. The weather will dictate daylight activity and what you will see. Mother Nature will dictate the rut. Now.

All you have to do is watch local TV. When car/deer collisions increase, hit the woods. That means they are moving in the burbs. I hunt 90% right behind houses/subdivisions. The deer are no different than deep, woodland deer except they react to different stimuli, i.e., predictable and patternable human traffic. Just think about it. Now, a caveat. The single best day to kill a mature buck in suburban setting is the very first day you hunt him. It may well be opening day with a full moon and 90-degree temps. Odds are, until you disrupt the pattern, he will still be eating in someone's garden or in their shrubs. Just be sure to stay out of the area for a couple weeks prior.

I had a doe with bird shot in the rump. You find all the little red spots on the hide and that's where the pellets went in.

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