When to go to Cades Cove?

[reelly1]

My wife and I are planning a trip to Cades Cove this fall. However we cant decide on when exactly to go. In Sept or Oct?? I want to photo bucks so I would rather shoot them out of velvet. And I was thinking the closer to rut the better. But I dont really want to go when it really cold either. My wife wants to go for the landscape etc. So she doesn't want to wait too late where the leaves are completely gone either. So what do you guys that have been there suggest?? looks like we will be going in the park early on Friday and camping in the park on a Friday night, leaving on a Sat night.

Thanks
Matt

[huntersdad]

As I've never been (going in October), I going to base this on the year I spent in school in Boone. Late October I believe is a little late for the fall foliage. Late Septmeber may be slightly early. I would aim for October 9-10 or 16-17 as the prime time to go. Alot of it depends on weather and when they start "cooling down" to flip the switch. FWIW, I would plan ahead as it gets absolutely crazy up there during that time.

As for the bucks in rut, can't tell you. I hunt in eastern NC and we used to be able to time it every year as November 3-12 (give or take a day) but that's varied greatly the last couple years. While they won't be in velvet at this time of year, they may not have the swollen neck you are looking for. The best thing to do is find some does and watch. If they're in rut, the buck won't be far behind. I would also suggest early morning trips as opposed to late evening, even though you'll see deer both times. I would venture to guess you'll see some elk too.

[monty28428]

Mid October would be the best bet -- crazy busy there though so leave early in the morning. If the traffic is backed up in cades cove it's most likely due to a deer, bear or elk -- leave the wife in the car and walk a mile or two and see if you can get a picture of whatever everybody is stopping for! The last time I was up there it took close to 8 hours to do the 11 mile loop...

[reelly1]

Cool thanks guys! Look forward to going and still haven't made up our minds. I may go back in November by myself. Huntersdad where are you from in ENC? We are in New Bern.

[huntersdad]

30 minutes up the road in Greenville.

[reelly1]

Ha isn't it a small world! Hey keep in touch, I am always looking for someone to go shoot with.

[ralff]

Have you guys read "the Ultimate Guide To Digital Nature Photography"? Written by group of photographers and co-edited by Richard Bernabe, a SC photographer. Very good book, has a calendar in the back with "the best times" of year to go and where in the USA. They suggest "late November (3rd. and 4th. weeks) for big white-tailed deer in the rut, with bucks chasing does and sparring with otherbucks.", in Cades Cove. Unfortunately they also recomendthe second and third weeks of October for th efall colors in the Blue Ridge Mountains, dependant on elevation. Besides the calendar it is a very good book on all the aspects of Nature Photography.

[smile93]

I went in early November last year, and it worked out good. We saw several bucks including a huge 10 point buck. We saw hundreds of deer that week, several turkey, 2 or three bear, and a couple of coyotes. One group of deer actually charged and ran a coyote off.

[reelly1]

Thanks guys we went in mid October. We saw tons of nice bucks,they were just starting to spar too. However every time we saw them sparring it was real early am and I was struggling with the 400 5.6 for light. Anyway saw a lot of deer and turkeys. Not one bear or coyote. We were there for two days and camped out in the camp ground. A lot of fun, cant wait to go back

[sparker1]

Originally Posted by reelly1

Thanks guys we went in mid October. We saw tons of nice bucks,they were just starting to spar too. However every time we saw them sparring it was real early am and I was struggling with the 400 5.6 for light. Anyway saw a lot of deer and turkeys. Not one bear or coyote. We were there for two days and camped out in the camp ground. A lot of fun, cant wait to go back

Hope you got some good color anyway. I have never seen a bear there, but others report "tons" of them. Just luck after all. Glad you enjoyed it.

[JaredLloyd]

next time you go try and string together 4 days at least. Check out the creek beds. Sure you can drive around the Cove and photograph deer all day long as thier all high on carbon monoxide from the cars, but if you want to get away from the crowd, if you want big bucks all day long, if you want bears, turkey, and coyotes, park and walk the creek through the cove.

early morning as you saw is great for photographing them out inthe fields. The dirt roads that cut across the middle of the loop are the prime spots for photographing the deer from roadside. Also the fields around the spur road to Abhram Falls is great as well. But the two dirt roads that cut across the cove are the best.

Next time give yourself a day to head over to Cataloochee valley as well. this place is rarely visited by most folks and this is where the elk are. Really there are elk elsewhere in places like Oconaluftee but Cataloochee is the best. Go the last week of September or the first week of October. This will coincide with the peak of the rut. The valley here is somewhat similiar to the Cove but very narrow and therefore puts all the action right ontop of you!

Going this time of year is my favorite really as you dont have to deal with the hordes of touristas clogging everything up. Yes, you miss the peak of the leaf change, and you miss the peak of the whitetail rut, but access is better and you have plenty of prerut behavior. The males are all still hanging out in bachelor groups but the pheremones are already pumping and so they are sparing with each other constantly. Velvet is off and the deer are in thier full glory, you have a fraction of the people, you have goldenrod and thistle blooming in the photographs, and you have the elk!

Just my opinion.

Jared

[BuckNrut]

You can usually target the peak colors around the end of October. It really depends on the temps and rainfall when they start to change colors as to when the peak will be. I usually make a trip up about Halloween for the colors.

[Tom Reichner]

Originally Posted by JaredLloyd

Go the last week of September or the first week of October.

Yes, you miss the peak of the whitetail rut, but access is better and you have plenty of prerut behavior. The males are all still hanging out in bachelor groups but the pheremones are already pumping and so they are sparing with each other constantly. Velvet is off and the deer are in their full glory.

Jared

The early October pre-rut activity that Jared mentions can provide for some wonderful images. The bucks are working their scrape lines then, and each buck usually visits each scrape at least once a day. The bucks are also actively flehming (lip curling). This is one of the most photogenic of all Whitetail buck behaviors.

[reelly1]

Yea Jared we pretty much stayed on the dirt roads the whole two days. In fact we brought bycycles and parked the truck at one of the churches then stayed on bikes up and down Hyatt Lane for the most part. I wanted to go into the woods to find the larger bucks but my wife wouldnt leave the road for fear of the bears I think we are plannng two trips next year. It sounds like a trip to Cataloochee will be included.

[JaredLloyd]

catch the elk rut down in Cataloochee and you'll have a hard time convincing yourself ever to go back to the Cove!