I won't waste my time until November. I can shoot deer every hunt but the huge deer won't be out during shooting hours until the rut. Don't screw up your areas until the rut and be patient. For you all in SC, go everyday.

Maryland opens Sept. 15th and has for as long as I can remember.
The morning's are usually cool and nice to hunt but the evening's
bring on the bug's. I don't mind as long as I am out there hunting.

Well I was out there every year for the opener on Oct. 1 so I'm going to be out there Sep 15.

And no it wont do a thing to up the harvest numbers..

What I like is usually around here the deer start changing patters more and more right around the beginning of Oct so my be I'll have 10 or so days to catch a buck doing the same old thing day after day...

Our opener is around Sept 15th also. It can be hot and muggy, but I just can't stand to sit in the house when I know I can be out hunting. Plus those doe that we need to thin out are about as easy to pattern as pie until they switch into the fall patterns. You can set your watch to when your going to see them. The only drawback is like Fieldmouse said, you can put your big old boy into a nocturnal pattern way before you even know it in late Sept.-early Oct. Plus's and minus's to it all. I know many guys that won't even go out till late Oct for that simple fact.

Bow hunting in September for Whitetails....Not gonna do it! That would mean I am not hunting elk. Can't live with that thought! []

Come October you can bet I will spend all the time I can in a tree right on through November into the first week of December when gun season opens.

You guys that are complaining about the season opening to early should have your heads examined. I wait from the last day of the season for the next season to open and if it was 100 degrees I would be sitting in a stand. As far as forcing bucks nocturnal early in the season it is the easiest time to pattern bucks. Most of them feeding on a time schedule and route before the hormones kick in.September or October for the start of the season you are still going to be sitting in the woods before the start of the rut. Besides I have never seen a buck in rut let a hot doe pass buy just because it was light out.

i would like to kill a buck in velvet, my area when its hot you dont see any bucks in early october just does.

Wimps... if you can hunt you should.[8D] Ya'll know Len and I started hunting the first week in February. What's a week or two. Go hunting. Just plan on having to take care of the deer immediately if it's hot. Whack 'em,... Stack' em... bone 'em... eat 'em.

Davidmil,

I got one better for you. I have about 5 families that love venison, but for various reasons can't get their own. When I stick one, I'm on the cell phone with them all to see who's home and is ready for one. All I have to do is gut em out....wash em out and drop em off on their front door step. They all know how to care for the meat, so that's not a concern and none of it goes to waste. Now how's that for convienence(sp?). All it costs me is $12.50 for over the counter intensive harvest tags.

Stump..... LEN has a list of about 20 people waiting for deer meat.