The months of September and October are considered by many deer hunters to be the pre-game warm-up for the “real season” when the rut begins. At that point the mature bucks drop their guard and go into search mode for does in heat. If the truth be known many a trophy has been taken in the early period before the rut ever starts and it can be persuasively argued that during these two months, quality deer can be taken because they are less wary (especially during the first two or three weeks) and because their patterns are more predictable.