Bow hunting fanatics all over Georgia eagerly await the onset of deer season and it's only a month away!

The official opening date is Sept. 10th statewide and Georgia's white-tailed deer population is in good shape as reflected by a generous bag limit. Once again, hunters may take 12 per season, no more than two of which may be antlered. The rules also require that one of those antlered deer must have at least four points, one inch or longer on one side.
Archery hunting veterans are already prepared, but here are some things that might help newcomers get jump started toward successful hunts this fall.
In picking out a stand, be sure of a few things.
One of the most important considerations is being able to get to your spot without spooking your quarry. The noises you make and the human scent you inevitably spread are the two primary culprits here.
To help with the noise factor, you need to be able to access your stand as quietly as possible. Become familiar with how to get there in the dark and, if there is heavy brush along the way, cut it down ahead of time.
Even more important is the scent factor. No matter how much scent blocker you use, the best way to ensure that your smell doesn't reach deer in the area is to stay downwind from where you expect the deer to appear.
The best approach here is to know where prevailing winds are most likely to come from and to have at least two stands available to avoid that problem.
Another helpful hint is to have good clear shooting lanes, because limbs and leaves will alter your shot just enough to cause a miss.
This should have already been done, but if not, do it now. The less you stomp around your hunting area over the next month, the more likely the deer will be close by.
Additionally, it is a good idea to get in your stand and see if you can draw your bow without hitting a tree limb that will make noise and spook your deer before a shot can be taken.
As always, safety is a primary consideration. Check out your safety harness and the condition of the stand thoroughly to make sure that all is well.
Early season hunting always brings with it the problem of biting insects that can make for a miserable day. Rather than insect repellent, which will also repel deer, buy bug-proof suits to keep those critters off your skin. Several brands are lightweight and ventilated to enable you to stay relatively cool and protected.
If you hunt in an area where water is scarce, one of the most consistent spots to situate your stand is near an isolated water source. As an added bonus, there is usually a great deal of vegetation close to these places that is also attractive to your prey.
Obviously you need to do some scouting ahead of time to see if the deer are actually using that particular watering hole before going to the trouble of putting in a stand.
Always take note of food sources (or create your own next year) when deciding where to locate your hunting stand.
As with water, easy access to these food sources is one of the most important criteria to use in the selection process. Deer are going to be in areas where food, water and good bedding areas exist within a relatively small area. Honeysuckle bushes, muscadine patches and nut-bearing trees are good examples of delicacies that deer love.
Most good bucks are not killed while wandering around in the middle of a field in broad daylight except during peak times in the rut. With that in mind, think about setting up inside the wooded edges where the bucks will most likely stay until nearly dark.
Anywhere from 30-60 yards inside the tree line is generally considered a good rule of thumb.
Don't go hunting in the early season with your fall or winter hunting clothes. It makes for a miserable trip and your overall alertness will suffer if you are sweating a gallon an hour. Take some water on these steamy trips to the woods and you will be more apt to enjoy your trip.
It's not a bad idea to check on your stand in the days leading up to opening morning. It doesn't take long for a family of wasps to take up residence and blundering into them can ruin the day that you have planned for and looked forward to.

One of the great advantages you have in early season hunts is that the deer are not as wary as they will be

 later in the season. They are going to be in a predictable summer pattern and will probably stay in that routine until cooler weather arrives.

Because of those factors, you have an excellent chance to start using your tags while the gun hunters impatiently wait for October to arrive.

These are just a few basic things to help you get a jump on successful and enjoyable early season archery hunts. Always follow all hunting regulations, think safety first and enjoy your days in the woods.


-Alvan Richardson