Our September whitetail deer hunts are becoming more popular with several Pope and Young bucks taken each week during these hunts with a very high overall success rate. Montana’s archery season generally starts the first weekend in September. This is probably one of the best times to harvest your biggest bucks outside of the November rut. This gives bow hunters a very good opportunity to harvest mature bucks still keying in on late summer/early autumn food sources on a more predictable travel pattern to and from their bedding areas. The first week in September also offers a very unique opportunity to harvest a trophy whitetail buck still in velvet while seeing bucks in their respected bachelor groups. This is an awesome time to hunt big bucks before they become less visible and harder to pattern. Usually this occurs just after the shedding of velvet and is most evident towards the end of September through mid October. Late September hunts still offer some fantastic hunting as they are under very limited pressure and are feeding heavily in preparation for the upcoming winter months and the rut that coincides with it in November. We have harvested some truly impressive Pope and Young whitetails during late September. Our leases have some of the best food sources found in the area with irrigated alfalfa, wheat, barley, and oats. These food sources are exciting to watch as these Montana whitetails converge onto these food sources like there’s no tomorrow. September bow hunting here in Montana is truly an enjoyable experience that is becoming more and more popular with trophy whitetail hunters seeking additional opportunities. If you enjoy seeing lots of deer from your stand, September is a great “pre-season” vacation. 

Nearly all of our September hunts take place on field edges and within travel corridors between feeding and bedding areas. This allows us to hunt mature bucks without entering into their core bedding areas and educating them. Once a mature buck knows he is being hunted, he is almost un-harvestable until the urge of breeding brings him back out in daylight hours again. We have stands on each ranch that allow us very productive early season success for our archery hunters. On average, most of our September hunters are seeing 15 to 75 whitetails each day. Opportunities at quality bucks are very good at this time of year. This is not a guaranteed hunt as these whitetails are wild, free roaming deer in their natural environment. However, this is truly a fantastic time to enjoy the Montana outdoor hunting experience like you‘ve never seen before. 

The weather is usually comfortable with some days very warm and others cool. The morning temperatures can average from 10 - 40 degrees with mid day temperatures from 40 - 75 degrees. So bring clothing in layers so you can more easily change with the conditions. Most of our early season bow hunters hunt the mornings and afternoons. Leaving the midday for other activities to be enjoyed during your week. Although deer are usually seen throughout the midday as well, mornings and evenings are your most productive times to be on stand. These early season hunts can offer midday activities that include fishing, sight seeing and taking pictures if you have a rental car, target practice, watching a hunting video, planning the evening hunt, resting, or simply just hanging out and enjoying good ol’ hunting Camaraderie.