First Crack: Deer Hunting in September

Whitetails are never more patternable than they are in September. Here’s a plan to get a shot at a good one.

By Josh Honeycutt

A big-racked buck raises its head and looks through me into the big soybean field beyond. It casually munches on acorns, slowly meandering through the timber. It starts at 75 yards, but soon it’s at 50 yards and then at 25, eventually landing within bow range. The heavy-frame 12-pointer turns broadside and immediately catches an arrow in the boiler room.

I shot that buck—which taped out in the mid-160s—last fall, and I’ve tagged great bucks in the early stages of six other seasons since 2015. Along the way, I’ve put together the following strategy for September success.

FIND A TARGET BUCK

While it might be easier to pattern a big deer now than later in the season, locating a target buck still takes some work.

Begin by studying your hunting area(s) using maps and hunting apps, then scout for likely early-season hot spots based on habitat. Deer will bed down in areas offering more convenience than security until hunting pressure ramps up, so look for bedding cover and food sources, which in early season include white and red oak acorns. Chestnuts (hybrids resistant to the blight) also have significant drawing power. Of course, the early season centers around soft-mast crops, too, including apples, pawpaws, pears, persimmons, plums and more. General browse species, forbs and grasses native to the area are very important big-woods deer feed, too. CLICK HERE TO READ FULL STORY