Early Hunting Season.

Hunting deer during the rut can be thrilling, but unfortunately, the rut only lasts for a short part of the season.  I have found that the early season is also a great time to hunt. The weather is a lot warmer and the days are longer.   You are not fighting to keep warm.   It is much easier to hide from the deer because there are still lots of leaves on the trees.  I have found that you can see more deer if you hunt in late September rather than mid October.  The buck are still in there bachelor groups.  Does are in their summer pattern and there is often crops still in the fields.

There are some down sides.  First, it can get really hot in September.  Deer move a lot less on hot days than on cool days.  There can be a lot of bugs that will drive you crazy. The leaves can make it hard see deer as they move.  The real reason that I like hunting during the early season is that I am willing to shoot a doe. Bucks are not chasing does at this time of year.

I hunt along rivers, streams, and ponds.  Deer will walk along and in the water at this time of year to keep cool.  Bucks are not chasing does, their main focus is feeding and preparing for the rut.  It is much easier to pattern bucks this time of year than during the rut. The bucks will be moving from bedding areas to feeding areas.  They are much more alert than during the rut.  The key to seeing bucks is keeping the wind in your favor.

We all have heard that bucks only move at night.  This is not true. The bucks will not be in the fields during daylight but you may see them walking to the fields.  The best places to kill a buck is in funnel and travel routes that are closer to their bedding area.   

When hunting early season you have to have the wind in your favor. Deer will not tolerate any out of place scents.  This is not limited to human scent.   Breading scents that we may use in the early season are as out of place as human scents.  They will respond to food scents.  I have see deer run to apple and acorn scents in the early season.

Trail cameras will be very useful in patterning deer in the early season.  Using trail cameras is a great way to find good bucks and where they are during hunting hours. This is a great way to see what deer are in your hunting area.  I have used trail cameras to find those deer that no one knew were there.

The best part of hunting early season is filling you freezer.   I will kill does that I see in the early season where I will let them walk during the rut.  Bucks are not chasing does, so killing them will not affect your chance of killing a buck.  I have also found that doe meat tastes better than a big old buck.

I know that there are a lot of hunters out there that will not hunt deer in the early season.  There are all kinds of reasons that they don’t hunt, but my feeling is that you can’t kill any deer unless you are in the woods hunting.  You may not want to kill does, but there is still a chance that you will get a shot at that buck.

Good luck,

Sean