Top 5 Early-Season States for Whitetail

by
posted on September 20, 2016
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
top_early_whitetail_f.jpg

Buck hunting is hot in the early season—in more ways than one. Here are five destinations that are primed for early-season action.

5. Maryland
Trust me, Maryland grows big-antlered deer. Hunt them with a bow starting Sept. 9. And public land isn’t that hard to find.

4. Kansas
Sept. 12 marks the opener for buck hunting with both archery equipment and muzzleloaders. Does the term “corn-fed” mean anything to you?

3. Washington
Need a place to bowhunt on Sept. 1? You can only take one buck, but you’ve got three species to choose from: whitetail, blacktail and mule deer.

2. Wyoming
You’ll need to draw a tag, but if you get lucky head to the state’s northeast corner for a big archery buck starting Sept. 10.

1. Kentucky
Lots of food and killer genetics has produced Booner bucks from every corner of the state, and starting Sept. 3 you can tag one.

Looking to book a September buck hunt? Check out the services offered by Worldwide Trophy Adventures. Providing professional consultation, the firm can handle the details from booking to tagging out, making sure the action on your early-season hunt is hot.

Latest

W H2026 07 Membershunt Oakley Buck
W H2026 07 Membershunt Oakley Buck

Member's Hunt: The Dogger’s Window

A dogger’s goal while pushing deer is to drive the prey into a pocket formed by others in his gang, those hunters who are posted about a hundred yards apart along strategic locations up to a half-mile away from the dogger’s starting point. When everyone is in position, the dogger weaves his way through the woods into the wind and pocket formed by the other hunters. The approaching sound of the dogger snapping twigs and crunching leaves alerts unsuspecting deer.

Federal Ammunition Awarded Contracts to Provide Rifle and Shotgun Ammunition to the Canadian Government

Federal Ammunition was recently awarded contracts to supply two Canadian law enforcement organizations with rifle and shotgun ammunition for duty and training purposes. These agreements will supply the Department of National Defense (DND) with .300 Blackout duty and training rounds, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) with 12-gauge slugs and buckshot duty loads.

Hardware Review: Steiner ePredator LRF & ePredator 8 Riflescope

Looking for a surefire solution for long-range shooting? Look no further. Check out our review of the Steiner ePredator line.

Buckmasters’ New Record Book Reveals Hot Spots, Revamped Rankings

Deer hunters will have the rare opportunity to decipher the current state of whitetail deer when Buckmasters releases the ninth edition of its record book this fall. The 600-page tome shows where, when and by what means these world-class whitetails—25,000 in total—came to be included.

Clean 'em Up—Gun Cleaning 101 for Hunters

Ever wonder how often to clean your gun? How about what to clean it with? How about what to clean it with if you're hunting at 40-below? Phil Massaro answers all these questions and more, in this clean-freaks primer.

Hunting Show Attendance Shattering Records

Attendance records have been shattered at this year’s major hunting shows. The latest, Ducks Unlimited’s DUX (Ducks Unlimited Expo), set a new high-water mark in Memphis, Tenn. According to the Commercial Appeal, the July to Aug. 2 event attracted roughly 30,000 attendees. The 2025 event, also held in Memphis, drew a crowd that numbered nearly 20,000.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.