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

Lead Photo 01
Lead Photo 01

Hunting Boot 101

Your firearm, your camo pattern, your shotshell or rifle cartridge, chosen optics, clothing material; all can seem insignificant if your boots aren’t doing their job. Read on for a thorough discussion of what you should look for in a hunting boot, depending on your hunting scenario, by veteran game stalker Phil Massaro.

New for 2026: Chiappa 92 Core Wildlands Series

The Chiappa 92 Core in the company's Wildlands series is built around one priority: a lever-action that stays simple, fast and ready without sacrificing reliability.

8 Ways to Fail at Turkey Hunting

If you’re clamoring for a Tom with a rope-like beard and limb-hanging spurs, you’ll want to avoid these success-stealing perils this season.

Savage Model 110 New Chamberings for 2026

Earlier this year, Savage Arms expanded its iconic Model 110 lineup to introduce six new cartridges.

Forest Service Headquarters Leaving DC

On March 31 the U.S. Forest Service—part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture—announced it will move its headquarters to Salt Lake City, Utah, and begin a sweeping restructuring of the agency to bring leadership closer to the forests and communities it serves.

Hardware Review: Leupold VX-5HD Gen 2

Looking for a new hunting scope before this season? Check out Managing Editor David Herman's hardware review of the second generation VX-5HD, from Leupold. With a 3-15x44mm magnification range, this is glass that can handle just about any hunting scenario you throw at it.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.