What’s New This Month in Animal Crossing: New Leaf – October

Welcome, New Leaf fans. Since July, DieHard GameFAN has been compiling a list of things that you can do in each in order to make sure you have all your Abel Sisters in a row. Since it’s a new month, we’ve got a new list! Here are some of the things you can do in October.

First, some general tips:

• Donate the first (new) bug/fish/deep-sea creature that you catch to the museum. Then you don’t have to worry about whether you’ve donated or not. Remember that donating items to the museum has definite perks. For instance, once you donate thirty bugs to the establishment, you’ll be able to purchase the silver net, which makes it easier to catch bugs. Once you’ve donated all bugs to the museum, you’ll be able to get the gold net, which makes it even easier. Similar benefits are available for fishers.
• The rarer the specimen, the harder it is to catch that specimen. If you’re hunting bugs, hold A down and barely move your circle pad in the direction you want to go to sneak. Don’t rush up on beetles and the like, or else you’ll be sure to scare them away.
• The more expensive creatures are great for stocking up on bells. Many people have been going to the island at night to fill up their boxes with beetles, returning to sell them for thousands of bells. It’s a pretty good strategy if you’re saving up for something or you have a mortgage to pay off… or if you just like sitting on oodles of bells, I suppose.

The official Animal Crossing: New Leaf website has only a few events listed for North America this month: the 12th is this year’s first fishing tourney; the 14th is Explorer’s Day (visit Isabelle to receive a Sailboat Model), and the 31st is Halloween (go to the Nooklings’ and Ables’ shops for holiday-specific items). Don’t forget, of course, that some of your residents may have October birthdays. Go to their house on that day to celebrate with them. If you bring a present, you might just get one in return in your mailbox the next day. Also be sure to check with Pelly for any special presents that you can download via Wifi; this month, you’ll be able to get a Rice-plant Bed from Nintendo.

There’s plenty to look for in the great outdoors. On the bug catching front, you have several new bugs to look for.

• The bagworm will be in trees all day. They sell for 300 bells.
• The ladybug briefly visits your town again, hanging out on flowers from 8am – 5pm. It’s worth 200 bells. It is only available for this month; the next time it will appear is March.

If you haven’t caught the bell cricket, giant petaltail, house centipede, red dragonfly, spider, stinkbug, or tiger beetle yet, this is your last chance for a while, as the little critters won’t be available starting next month.

Are you more the fishing type? Here’s what you can look forward to starting in October:

• Dab can be found all day in the ocean. They’re worth 300 bells and are common. Look for medium shadows to find one.
  
• Yellow perch are available all day in the river starting this month. They’re worth 240 bells. Look for medium shadows; they’re fairly common.

If you haven’t caught an angelfish, catfish, or moray eel  by now, this month is the last month you can do so for a while.

Last but not least, we have diving. Actually, there’s nothing of note in October. The creatures that were there last month will continue to be here this month and there are no new ones to report.

Well, that’s all that I’ve been able to find for this month. Do you have any tips or tricks you’d like to share? Does your experience differ from what’s listed above? Did you find this helpful? Let us know in the comments, and happy Crossing!