Early Season Archery Tips

By the time September rolls around, bowhunters are itching to hit the field. This excitement, however, can lead to mistakes or failure to adapt hunting tactics to this challenging time of year. For the best early season strategy, consider these tips. 

Focus on Evenings

Some hunters forgo the early season entirely due to hot, humid conditions but they could be missing out on a great opportunity. With lower hunting pressure, you have one less thing to worry about in the whitetail woods. Although there won’t be a ton of daylight movement in these conditions, typically deer will still be on their feet in the final shooting hours. Hunting during the evenings will give you a decent shot at arrowing a shooter just before last light. To take advantage of the breeze on those warm evenings, consider using the Shadow Hunter^® Marksman^® Series Blind with silent ShadowView™ window system. Easily open and close the windows without scaring off the deer.

Choose Smart Setups

Your ambush sites that reliably produce in the rut may not be the best places to sit in the early season. The edges of food sources such as ag fields can be great spots on September evenings, but water holes can be even better. Deer need to drink in this brutal weather so look for secluded ponds or creeks, or even create your own for even better odds. To make your setup even smarter, imagine having one blind that can provide an unlimited number of camouflage patterns. Consider a GhostBlind® Predator™ Ground Blind to virtually disappear into any landscape.

Prioritize Scent Control

Beyond being just plain miserable, the hot and muggy weather of early season can kill your stealth too. If you’re sweating without taking proper precautions, deer will detect your scent. Minimize odors by treating your clothing with ozone, taking an unscented shower before heading into the field, carrying scent-killer spray with you or even setting up an in-field ozone generator in the stand. Also consider using the Shadow Hunter^® Marksman^® Series Blind that will help contain your scent from thermals or those frustrating swirling winds. Don’t get winded by deer during early season or you could spoil the spot for weeks to come.

The hot, muggy early season can be tough to hunt. Do it right and you could be notching your tag before other bowhunters even enter the woods. To learn more about Shadow Hunter Marksman Series and GhostBlind products, visit shadowhunterblinds.com or contact one of our sales engineers at info@summitoutdoors.com or call 1-888-446-4868.