I have whitetail hunted in Alberta, but it was during the November rut. I also spent some time up there in August prior to my hunting up there scouting with my friend and establishing stand sites. He"hosted" me as a non-resident alien and can do so every third year.

I hunt here at home in the early season (august 30th through Sept 30th) and feel there are some real advantages to hunting early, there are also obstacles that time of the year you don't encounter as much during the rut. I am assuming you're hunting with an outfitter or are you being hosted? Anyway who ever you hunt with, if they do their summer homework, you should have no problem in the evening hunts seeing bucks walk by you on thier way to feeding areas or to water holes. Your daylight will extend late into the evenings in early September and the younger to middle aged bucks you will be hunting will most likely still be traveling in bachelor groups. From what I witness here in early archery season, some of the older bucks will be solo and reclusive even in early season, not all of them of course. Anyway have a great time, remember the closer you can be set up near a good bedding area the better chance you have to intercept them in daylight hours on their way to feed/water. Some bucks if not disturbed may be feeding well before dark, this will depend on your area and pressure of course.

With the high temperatures ( I've harvest bucks on 90+ degree days) you have to consider scent being a big obstacle. Really play your winds as I am sure you will, be as clean as you can and don't cut any corners in that department. I dont think anyone can be completely scent free, but I think you cam minimize your scent enough to make deer feel your fruther away and not a threat to their comfort zone. Obviously your wind will be your most important detail to not getting detected. I hunted the "bowzone" area near Edmonton in 02. I harvested a 120 class buck and honestly could have held out longer. When I was field dressing my buck a dandy came by my stand right before dark. This year I will hold out for a true Alberta brute, I dont really care what he scores, I just want to arrow a big heavy bodied mature critter. It was a great experience and am going back this year on the same hunters host program for whitetail and moose. Best of luck,

Shed