September 1. Labor Day weekend. For decades, I reserved this time period for two outdoor pursuits – dove shooting, and bowhunting elk. While those remain passions, for the past decade or so I have also equated this as a great time to be bowhunting whitetails.
“Are you smoking crack?” you ask. Hardly. Truth is, I’ve found excellent success over the years on early-season whitetail hunts, which occur in September where I spend most of my time – and when it’s hot out. Here’s how I go about it.
Much has been written about deer habits and behavior during this timeframe. Breaking it down to the basics, we all know that deer need to spend time where it’s cool during late summer and early fall, when the weather can be extremely warm, day and night. Why? Because unlike humans, deer don’t perspire, instead eliminating body heat by breathing faster and opening their mouths to expel hot air. Even with their light summer coats they can overheat easily. Also, bucks are working to put
