Early Bowhunting
 

It's my first year bowhunting and my season starts Sep 15, is that to early to go out? Should I wait till the Oct. or the beginning of Nov.?

RE: Early Bowhunting
 

Defianetly not. do as much bow hunting as you can but when the rut comes then go even more...because the fun thing with bowhunting is you never know when that big buck you've been scouting is gonna be 20 yards broadside.

RE: Early Bowhunting
 

If ,since it's your first year, you don't mind taking a doe get out there. If your wanting a big buck you might get lucky if your area isn't very pressured, but for the most part you probably wont seea mature buck early on. your best chance at a buck would be between the bedding area and the fields. For a doe I would hunt right on field edges where there is sign of them coming into it. Bucks around here just don't seem to come out until it's just too dark to shoot and my area isn't pressured to bad. I would suggest not passing up a doe your first year, it will still be a good trophy and lasting memory.

RE: Early Bowhunting
 

Opening week is always the best week because there is no pressure.After that it's a judgment call. It depends on the pressure, deer movement and your area. The first week is always the best where i hunt, then it seems like the hunting slows down until pre-rut starts. The season in my area starts Oct.1. I hunt hard for 5 days, and then the deer hunting slows down, so on or about day 6, I slow down my hunting until the end of october. Why? because I hunt 20 acres and don't want to ruin it for the rut. If you have access to large amounts of hunting area and have multiple stands already setup, hunt hard and it will pay off. Do your scouting and hunt your best stand(s) the first week, then go hunt somewhere else or something else, then go back to your best stand(s) during the pre-rut and rut.

RE: Early Bowhunting
 

Definitely get out there. The more time you spend in the woods the better. I hung some stands today and I saw 4 deer and about 10 turkey. Course it was in the 60s here in MO.

RE: Early Bowhunting
 

Today was openin day in So. KY and the deer where movin great... the only problem with sept huntin is you gotta tend the deer right away..

RE: Early Bowhunting
 

I see you're in CT. I think Bow season is pretty much shut down around the beginning of the rut becaus rifle season opens, unless you hunt a bow only area

RE: Early Bowhunting
 

I hunt on 23 acres of private land and it's all woods, no fields or openings. I just don't really want to stir things up if it's to early. There are some state bow only areas near me but they open up the same time rifle season does. I would have to wait till Nov. 15 for that, I wish you could hunt it the same time as private land starts but you can't. I'm think that I have down the trail they use but there are really no spots for a tree stand. There is some think cover on the ground so I'm hoping to use that as my spot to shot from.I cut out some shooting lanes about 5 different ones. The trees that would of been nice for a treestand were about 55 yds out off the trail and I'm not that good. Should I even chose this spot since I can't shot from a stand or is ground hunting ok?

RE: Early Bowhunting
 

You can also use natural cover and terrain to your advantage. Last year was my first year bowhunting and I shot a young buck from a chair on a rock cliff about 20 feet up because I don't have a tree stand. Called him in 3rd week of October. This year I'll try for a mature buck but I shot him to break the ice and get my first with a bow. Just try your best with what you have to work with and make sure you know the direction of the wind the days your hunt.

RE: Early Bowhunting
 

go early and smack a doe if ya want...just make sure you go more once the rut hits. Hey, they more you are in the woods the better.