September vs Everything after

[DaNewb]

Hunting blacktails from the ground with a bow...is the early season (September) more difficult than hunting the rut in the shorter, later seasons?

Being a newb I've opted for the month-long September early season to allow as much time as possible to make it happen...I'm hunting within a mile of home, hiking out and back, with plenty of deer in the area. I've got an open schedule so I can hunt the entire month, every day, if I need to...but it's hard.

Everything is bone dry and the deer are mostly nocturnal due to the heat. It's much more dependent on scouting and patterning. Setup location really matters and its a hot, sweaty job getting into position.

I hate to give up that month-long hunting season in case I have a hard time, but maybe I'm making it harder than it needs to be by avoiding the shorter rut seasons. I also REALLY like having the woods to myself the whole time and not worrying about getting shot too.

Hunting from the ground with a bow, which do you prefer, a longer season allowing plenty of time to harvest, or using the rut to find a deer, even though your window of opportunity is shorter?

It seems like everyone hunts the rut...

[TitusFord]

I personally love late archery blacktail hunting over September but it’s a cold wet miserable time to be out there. I’ve had far more opportunities at bucks in late season.

[Sundance]

For 2026, without a quality buck tag in my pocket, I’d rather hunt October 30-November 1st with a bow than any other OTC dates with any weapon. September is fun for blacktail, but the mature bucks are at their most vulnerable oct/nov

[Kingofthemountain83]

I had a neighbor when I lived in Kitsap that archery hunted the early season not far from home and usually got one most years... He had it dialed in pretty good... A couple were really good bucks... He wasn't picky... Was just good at hunting and figured out an area during that time of year... I do muzzy and modern... I feel the last week of Oct 1st week of Nov is the best season to hunt for BT... It all just depends on your area...

[DaNewb]

I had a neighbor when I lived in Kitsap that archery hunted the early season not far from home and usually got one most years... He had it dialed in pretty good... A couple were really good bucks... He wasn't picky... Was just good at hunting and figured out an area during that time of year... I do muzzy and modern... I feel the last week of Oct 1st week of Nov is the best season to hunt for BT... It all just depends on your area...

That sounds like me...hopefully I can get a deer most years. It doesn't even need to be a buck as I can hunt any deer. I took my first one (a buck) last year barely 2 weeks into the season.

Then I spent the rest of the fall and winter jealous of all the rut hunters!!!

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence I guess

[Kingofthemountain83]

I had a neighbor when I lived in Kitsap that archery hunted the early season not far from home and usually got one most years... He had it dialed in pretty good... A couple were really good bucks... He wasn't picky... Was just good at hunting and figured out an area during that time of year... I do muzzy and modern... I feel the last week of Oct 1st week of Nov is the best season to hunt for BT... It all just depends on your area...

That sounds like me...hopefully I can get a deer most years. It doesn't even need to be a buck as I can hunt any deer. I took my first one (a buck) last year barely 2 weeks into the season.

Then I spent the rest of the fall and winter jealous of all the rut hunters!!!

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence I guess

Always is... Struck out on mule deer... Passed a small spike bt in Oct modern... Missed opportunity during late modern on a nice one... And late muzzy... Would've had one if I took the spike... 35# of meat... But I wanted to keep hunting and hope for something bigger... I would've shot him the last day or so though...

[craigapphunt]

I haven't ever taken a decent blacktail in September though it seems like I always see at least one booner that time of year at some point during daylight hours. So from my experience they are "killable" that time of year. I'm not a great sit in one place kind of guy either and tend to cover lots of ground and I feel like I see my fair share of deer in doing so. All that being said all of my better blacktail have been killed in rut times.