Three years ago, I had one of the most frustrating and heartbreaking hunts of my life. After spending the summer watching a mature buck, I finally had a close encounter during the first week of October. He stepped in to just twelve yards, and I drew my bow, waiting for him to clear a limb for the perfect shot. But before I had the chance, my thumb release misfired, and the arrow buried in the dirt only ten feet in front of him. The buck bolted, and I never laid eyes on him again.
The following year, during the second week of Missouri’s archery season, I found myself in a game of cat and mouse with another mature buck. I had trail camera photos of him for three consecutive mornings, each just minutes apart. On the fourth morning, I slipped into my stand extra early, determined not to spook him if he was close. But as luck would have it, the buck showed up an hour earlier than before. In total darkness, he fed directly beneath me, then slipped away long before shooting light. And just like that, he was gone, never to return. Two years in a row, my mistakes cost me a chance at an early-season mature buck. If this sounds familiar from your own time in the woods, maybe you can take something from these common early-season errors.
For a lot of bowhunters, September and October are some of the most exciting weeks of the year. The woods feel alive, food sources are abundant, and deer continue to move in somewhat predictable patterns. However, even with all those advantages, it’s easy to make mistakes —mistakes I’ve made myself — that can ruin an opportunity. Steering clear of those slip-ups can be the difference between watching a buck fade out of sight and finally filling a tag on a mature deer.
Hunting the Wrong Conditions
One of the most common mistakes hunters make early in the season is hunting when conditions are not just right. Whitetails, especially mature bucks, are highly sensitive to wind direction and human scent. A lot of hunters rush to their favorite stand on opening weekend without paying attention to the wind. The problem is that they end up leaving scent behind and tipping off deer before the season even gets rolling. The guys who consistently tag bucks always factor in the wind, even if it means sitting out or slipping into a less obvious stand. Years ago, a seasoned bowhunter told me something I’ve never forgotten, and I’ve repeated it plenty of times since. Sometimes, it’s just as important to know when not to hunt as it is to know when to hunt. If the conditions aren’t right for a spot, stay out. Otherwise, you’ll end up educating more deer than you ever lay eyes on. In the early season, playing it safe often pays off.
Burning Out Prime Spots Too Early
When the season kicks off, it’s tempting to dive right into the best food source or bedding area. The problem is, hitting those prime spots too early in September or October usually backfires. A little pressure is all it takes for deer to shift their patterns, and before long, they’re moving at night instead of daylight. Looking back at my last two seasons, I can see exactly where I went wrong. I hunted too soon. If I had been more patient, I could’ve patterned those bucks better and made a smarter move. Instead, my early mistakes pushed them out or changed their routine, and I never got the shot I was after. Experienced hunters know to hold their best spots until the timing is right, relying on trail cameras or observation sits to gather intel without burning out an area.
Ignoring Early Season Food Sources
Food is king in September and October. Many hunters make the mistake of focusing only on rut funnels or scrapes early on, when in reality, bucks are much more predictable around green food plots, alfalfa fields, soybeans, or early mast crops, such as white oak acorns. Overlooking these patterns often results in empty hunts. I have made this mistake myself, and I have seen many hunters find rubs or scrapes in September or early October, then focus all their energy on that sign. In truth, bucks make scrapes year-round, and early-season efforts should often be directed toward food sources. The best early-season strategy is to focus on what the deer are eating and set up on the edges with low-impact access.
Poor Entry and Exit Strategies
Even when you’ve picked the right food source and the wind is in your favor, a careless entrance or exit can wreck a hunt. Cutting across open fields while deer are feeding, leaving scent near bedding areas, or using a noisy access route are mistakes that deer quickly catch on to. If you’re bumping deer on the way in or out, don’t shrug it off and keep doing the same thing; pressure them too often, and they’ll change their patterns. The hunters who find early-season success are those who plan quiet, low-impact routes that allow them to slip in and out without being noticed.
Not Using Observation Hunts
Many hunters underestimate the value of sitting back and watching. Early season is the perfect time for observation hunts on the edges of fields or from elevated vantage points. Yet, after waiting all summer to hunt, hunters often want to start the season with a bang and can be too aggressive. Skipping this step and diving straight into the action usually means missing critical details about travel routes, staging areas, and timing. Patience and observation can supply the puzzle pieces needed for a calculated strike later in October.
Getting Impatient
Perhaps the biggest mistake in early-season bowhunting is simply losing patience. Hunters often expect immediate action and move stands too quickly, invade bedding areas, or put too much pressure on the deer. Success early in the season usually goes to hunters willing to wait for the right conditions and make one carefully planned move, rather than multiple hurried ones. Ensure you have multiple stand sites, rotate your hunting spots, and remain patient.
Bowhunting whitetails in September and October requires discipline and patience. The deer are harvestable, but they are also susceptible to pressure. Making early-season mistakes, such as hunting in unfavorable conditions, overhunting key spots, overlooking crucial food sources, taking careless entry and exit routes, or simply rushing the process, can throw deer off their natural patterns. And when that happens, your chances of success shrink before you ever get an opportunity.