Early Archery Season Tips, Food Source Updates

If a bowhunter wants to put some venison in the freezer early—and who doesn’t in light of what happened last spring in grocery stores—or wants to take advantage of that early window to get on a mature buck, here’s your statewide scouting report.

GON’s team of Hunt Advisors are back, and as always, their info is timely, local—and golden.

NORTH GEORGIA

Chattahoochee National Forest: Tim Dangar, of Ball Ground, reports, “Well here we are folks, only 20 days until bow season as I write this pre-season report. Tune ’em up and get ready, the woods are calling.

“On Friday, Aug. 21, I took off on my annual mountain scouting trip. I checked the acorns high and low. Red oaks win as far as high (2,500 feet and up) with white oaks running a close second. When it comes to the low country down on the creeks, the story is just the opposite, with white oaks a little better than red. Something else I noticed tells me the drop might be a little later—the lack of green acorns I found on the ground. I know we have had some strong storms lately, so they must still be in the growing stage and holding on tighter than normal.

Hunt Advisor Tim Dangar got this picture of autumn olives on a north Georgia WMA in the Chattahoochee National Forest. Deer and bear love these berries. Autumn olive is native to Asia, so it’s considered an invasive species. It can grow thick along field edges and open areas. USDA keeps track of where these invasive species have been confirmed—with coordinates. Drill down through this website, and you might find an early season food source on public land: www.eddmaps.org/distribution/uscounty.cfm?sub=3021.

“As far as soft mast, it’s autumn olive or nothing. They are big and in abundance and should be a great food source for bow opener. One of my hikes that day took me deep into one of my favorite mountain WMAs. The walk-in-only road leads to a great food plot that lays down low on a creek. This year, to my surprise, I found it planted in corn and looking good. The corn is still soft and growing but should be hard and mature by first of October. Hats off to DNR for giving us more than just a grass opening to hunt.”

Tip of the cap to the WRD folks who got this food plot in on a mountain WMA. Hunt Advisor Tim Dangar got this picture Aug. 21.

“OK guys and gals, it’s time to get out there and get in shape by putting in the miles on foot. I know it’s hot, but you will be glad you did when you are pulling out meat for the freezer this fall. Until next time, be safe and God Bless!”

Cherokee County: Tim Dangar reports, “We got a lot of bucks hanging around the feeder, some looking pretty good with another month of growing left. The fawns are growing and beginning to nibble on some corn. No triplets this year but some twins and several singles. Acorns are good with water and red oak the best producers. White oaks are spotty, I mean you can find two big trees together and one will be loaded from middle up and the other one has nothing. I hope my fellow north Georgia hunters have found more soft mast than I have. No wild grapes, no persimmons and no crabapples. Too early and too wet for food plots, but looking forward to getting them in mid September.

“Something to consider, don’t overlook the 25-yard and under shots. I know the bows of today are capable of shooting out to 60 and 70 yards, but when hunting a controlled food source, one needs to be deadly at 20. Now that changes of course if you bowhunt the rut.

“Well, next month maybe we’ll be looking at deer on the ground. I say Yeehaw to that. Til then, be safe and God Bless.”

Madison County: Keith Ingram, of Comer, reports, “Well with what is sure to be the strangest and most unique deer season this country has ever seen just around the corner, I’m excited and ready for it. I’m so ready to get back in the woods away from the doom and gloom. If they play football fine, if they don’t fine, I’m going to be in a tree.

“I’m very excited about this upcoming season. The woods in my area are absolutely full of deer, and it’s the most fawns I have ever seen. They are healthy, with plenty of natural foods, plus the supplemental feeding I’m doing, should make for some fat deer this year. I’m getting several nice bucks on camera with at least three hit-listers. Natural foods sources are in great shape, especially the muscadines, but they will be gone long before the opener. Persimmon trees and locust are loaded along with all the acorn trees. We will plant food plots in early September, and if we keep getting rain, they should do great also. With all the food in the woods, the deer should be strong and healthy, and it should make for an incredible rut later on.

“Opening day strategy for me—I will be sitting on a good food source, hoping these bucks are still in their late summer pattern. As of right now I have a great group of bachelors running together.

“I hope everyone has a healthy and safe season this year. Should be fun, plenty of deer out there.”

MIDDLE GEORGIA

Fayette and Meriwether Counties: Jeff Scurry, of Fayetteville, reports, “Deer numbers are definitely up from last year at my locations. Lots of fawns have been seen and dropped at different times, showing late breeding and high doe numbers.

“Muscadines are coming in as a great early food source, along with some water oaks along river bottoms. With bow season coming up in a few weeks, focusing on a water source would be a good idea when deer are transitioning from bedding and feeding areas close to a food source due to the hot days we have had so far.”

Hancock County: Greg Grimes, of Ball Ground, reports, “We have a new 275-acre piece of property we purchased last year. It was not hunted that hard, but we did learn a good bit about the property. We also just had quite a bit of 6-year-old sweetgum cut out.  I’ve seen deer sign in these cut lanes.

“With the changes to the property, I’m not quite sure of the deer patterns just yet. We use cameras especially in the early season to get an inventory of potential shooter bucks.

“Last year I really didn’t have a single buck around that was over 4 years old. We now have one identified, and that will be our target buck. It is still mostly nighttime pictures, so maybe we will just go after the does in the early season until the deer can be more patterned. With the advent of the cellular cameras we can get information quickly—it may change our plans altogether.

“So far early season food seems to be pretty good. I’ve identified a few persimmon trees that are holding good fruit. I noticed last week some of our sawtooth oaks are already dropping. I’m a little worried if the bumper crop of muscadines will actually be all gone before the opener—it definitely seems like they developed early. I must say they’ve been good snacks after getting sweaty on the tractor working our dove field.

“I won’t really make up my decision on where to hunt until right before the opener. I will get some deer scouting in during our dove hunt and make our  decisions at that time.

“The first week or so of the season can be so hot, so one word of advice is to aim low. This will increase chances of either a clean miss or more than likely the heart shot. You don’t want a deer running off and lying in this heat for too long.

“Good luck this first month of the season on either your first velvet book, the older-class buck you’re after, or just some early season venison for the freezer. It’s all fun.”

Monroe County: Greg Grimes reports, “I am blessed to have several different places to hunt, so in the early season we are usually looking at camera intel and deciding where to chase the best buck. We had some pretty good bucks show up on our Monroe County property last year, but so far this summer nothing really to get excited about. Our land is really geared toward introducing others to hunting, so many times does are what we are after anyway. The strategies will be about the same as with going after an early season buck anyway.

“I will be the first to admit I have a difficult time finding out what oaks are producing until they hit the ground. I can look all day with binoculars, and other than lower branches, and especially with water oaks, I can’t seem to tell what has a few and what is loaded down with preferred acorns. I do know the muscadines, I think from all the rain we’ve had, are doing really well, and if they stick around long enough they could be something that we target.

“Our food plot program does really not get going until later in the season. We have mostly dove fields in early season. I have noticed the sorghum heads are getting hit. The leftover clover doesn’t seem to be drawing deer right now.

“For me, early bow season hunting will be almost exclusively dependent on what the cameras are telling me. I’m not only looking at deer pictures or a video, but I’ll look and see what time of the day they seem to be coming to an area and from what direction they’re coming from. This has really helped me in the last few years to pattern the deer.

“It’s a great time of the year to not only just get out for some early season venison but also a great time to pattern a big buck. Go enjoy it, our favorite time of the year is finally here.”

Putnam County: Dwayne Britt, of Bishop, reports, “This might be the most deer I’ve ever seen since I started hunting. I’m seeing more fawns and some does with two and sometimes three fawns. The amount of bucks in the 2- to 3-year-old range is crazy. Usually I’m seeing a lot of yearling bucks, but instead it’s been mostly 8-points. No monsters on camera but several mature bucks and lots of potential. Muscadines are everywhere and still not ripe, while persimmons are hit or miss this year. White oak acorns are either loaded or bare, and I’m seeing good numbers on water oaks and some red oaks.

“We will likely plant oats/wheat and some broadleaf plants late September or early October and pray for the continued rain. Early season is tough with the humidity and hot weather. If I have a good buck on camera during daylight and the right wind, that’s where I’ll be early bow season. Try to hunt higher in the tree, near creeks, and on days with low humidity and steady winds. I know, there is no such thing as a steady wind. Best advice I can give, and I sometimes struggle with, is don’t push getting into a spot if conditions are not right. Good luck, and keep your eyes on the ground for snakes.”

SOUTH GEORGIA

Colquitt County: Adam Childers, of Norman Park, reports, “The next four months are my favorite months of the year for many reasons. This fall will have a very different feel with many of the events and traditions associated with this time of year being altered or cancelled. However, two of my favorite occurrences during this period, the opening of deer season and falling temperatures, will not be any different from any other year. I think we can all be thankful for this.

“In this part of the world, we have had fairly consistent rain for most of the summer. There has been no shortage of natural browse, so the deer seem to be fat and happy as they pack on the pounds in preparation for the upcoming fall and winter. The grape vines I have seen appear to have a pretty good crop on them. By the opening of deer season, they should be falling and will be a good food source to keep any eye on. The water oaks have a big crop as usual, but they can be tougher to hunt as there are usually plenty of these trees scattered around. I find it hard to key in on just one tree since there are so many.

“My favorite strategy early season is to either hunt in a transition area between a bedding area and a good food source (preferably an ag field), or stake out a corn pile that still has daylight activity. While corn is very consistent during the summer months, it usually becomes more of a nighttime activity for the older bucks once the velvet comes off. This is where doing your homework during the summer pays off. When they become less frequent on that corn, I like to have a couple of stand locations in mind to try to catch them on their feet in daylight. I look for early rub lines to give away these spots. If I find an area that has multiple rubs located between what I think is their bed and a food source, I will focus on this area for the first three weeks or so, and as a general rule only hunt these spots in the evening.

“A good climber is the key to this strategy. If I find a rub line like I just described, I’ll take a climber in and out every hunt. I hunt the same general area, but I will move stand locations by as few as 20 yards to up to even 200 yards. Usually after a few sits you have a general idea how the deer are moving, and you can focus your attention on a smaller area. I try to keep an eye on the wind, but this time of year the light and variable wind can come from anywhere, so it’s very hard to predict. I’ve never killed a big deer when there wasn’t a good bit of luck involved, so I just hope for good luck when it comes to the wind.

“One thing I try to keep in mind is that sometimes you harvest the deer you are after, but most of the time it’s just another afternoon enjoying a sunset from a tree. To me, this is the beauty of deer hunting. Every hunt should be enjoyable no matter the outcome, and a little something extra to enjoy will be welcomed in on Sept. 12.”

Crisp County: Jodi Manders, of Cordele, reports, “I hope you all are ready for deer season because we sure are! The way things have been lately with this pandemic and all the time sheltering in place, we have had plenty of time to spend in the woods, and we sure took advantage of it. Spent lots of time preparing for deer season in the last few weeks. We got some food plots planted and scouted out some good spots with soft mast that the deer have been eating, and we hung a few bow stands. The persimmons and muscadines have been plentiful. There are a few persimmons falling already and should be plenty on the ground by bow season. They will surely be a hot food source to bowhunt.

The persimmons—known as deer candy—look good in Crisp County and could be falling early bow season.

“Some of the deer we have been getting on camera look like they are down on their weight and look a little poor. Hopefully they will fatten on up so we can get our freezers full. Nothing like grocery shopping in the wild.

“Hope you all have a great hunting season. Hunt safe, God Bless!”

Early County: Sam Klement reports, “I’ve hunted his trophy-managed Hooch place in southwest Georgia for 25-plus years. With so much rain this spring and summer, our camera surveys and reports from neighboring cooperative members are all showing the deer antlers have made a very impressive jump this year. I fully expect many deer to be taken off of my tracts or the adjoining neighbors this year in the 130 to 140 P&Y range and wouldn’t be surprised at all to see a jaw dropper in the B&C range! Our neighbors have been managing with us to collectively achieve our goals and each year. We get more mature deer and higher numbers of quality bucks to pursue.

“Looking at my  opening day strategies, I will not divert much from my year-round hunt strategy. I place my stands in primarily thick transitional areas close to both bedding and feeding areas. I have all my stands hung and pruned and will not go back to most of these sets until the first time they are hunted. The thicker the better for me. I feel like these places are more apt to provide a daytime movement. I rarely if ever hunt the same stand area on back-to-back hunts to help minimize on my footprint and cut down on pressure.

“While doing my preseason chores, I am seeing tons of wild grapes/muscadines, the persimmons are loaded, and most of the acorn trees look to be loaded. When choosing a specific stand for each hunt early season, I prefer to hunt the food source in highest demand that is in least availability. In other words, our grapes are dropping now, and most will be played out by season opener. I will keep my eye on these dropping vines and hunt these areas first knowing they will dry up quickly. For my afternoon hunts, I will be relatively close in my thickets to nearby peanut or corn fields hoping to fill the freezer early on some does. As the soft mast dries up and the acorns start to drop, the first pin oaks that start to drop in tucked away areas are always a great place to perch up for a hunt.

“The only scent I use and have used for years is Voodoo. I like to use this as cover scent and curiosity lure, and to date have not had a deer blow my location by being alarmed. I have started practicing daily with my bow and my groups are solid. Looking forward to taking in many peaceful sits starting in September. The does better be on the lookout this year. With the COVID crisis, I have almost depleted my venison and will make sure my freezer is stocked plenty for possible future pandemics!

“To my fellow Georgia hunters… enjoy your friends and family and the Good Lord’s incredible peace and beauty! Hunt smart, hunt safe! Huntin is Good!”

Harris County: Jimmy Harper, of Hamilton, reports, “My family and I will, once again, have the privilege of hunting three different properties in Harris County for the 2020-2021 deer season—a 791-acre timber company lease run as the Flatrock Hunting Club, as well as two smaller, privately owned tracts on which we have sole hunting rights. This provides me with the opportunity to both experience and report on various types of habitat and hunting conditions within Harris County for yet another deer season.

“Overall, the deer on these Harris County tracts appear to be in very good shape heading into this new season.  We’ve worked very hard over the last few years, especially on the largest tract under our management control, to get the buck to doe ratio very close to that magical 1:1. Doing that, along with year-round supplemental feeding and well-maintained food plots, has helped improve our combined herd health and deer age structure tremendously.

“For those who planted them, summer food plots are still looking good at this point due to the ample rain we’ve received, and these areas should continue drawing deer well into archery season. We’re also been seeing a heavy crop of muscadines in Harris County again this year, but many of these wild grapes are dropping earlier than normal this season, meaning their attraction for deer—and to any hunters who might consider climbing a tree near these vines—will likely be less than in some other years. Water oaks, which are always dependable acorn producers, seem to also be in for somewhat of an ‘off’ year in Harris County, although this type of acorn will still be hitting the ground—just probably not as heavy as in most years. As for deer feeders, bucks and does are both hitting them hard, whether the feeders are of the free-choice or spin-cast types. However, if you want to try to kill a deer over bait, I’d suggest you do it over a timed feeder that’s set to go off about 45 minutes before dark, because almost all the deer that are coming to our free-choice feeders are doing so well after dark—and that pattern will likely continue until much later in the season.   

“An interesting thing we’re seeing on our trail cameras this year is some Harris County bucks already in hard antler by the third week of August. This follows having some of our mature bucks drop their antlers beginning as early as the first week of December last year. I’ll leave the explanations for all of this to someone smarter than me (those folks ain’t hard to find!) But I did think it was somewhat abnormal and wanted to share it with y’all; maybe you’ve had similar observations at some point.

“As far as early season hunting ‘tips’ go, I really don’t have many, mainly because I don’t usually have a whole lot of success hunting in the September heat myself. I do suggest you take great care not to mess up, or burn out, your best hunting spots before the most special time of the season—late October and November—gets here. Unless you have a shooter buck definitely pegged on a strict morning pattern, I hope you’ll consider hunting afternoons only until at least mid-October. Most deer in the early season bed prior to daylight, then feed the last hour before dark, so you won’t be giving up what would be considered as productive time by hunting afternoons only—and you’ll keep your best hunting areas fresh and new for later in the season.  It’s the old ‘hunt smarter, not harder’ thing, and you can always hunt harder later in the season when your hours on stand have a much greater chance of being more productive for you.”

Macon County: David Keene, of Oglethorpe, reports, “We are seeing a good many water oak acorns on the ground, and the deer have found them. Also we have a good crop of muscadines and the ground is covered with them. We have a lot of honeysuckle, and I have seen some nice bucks browsing in the patches. I have not seen many persimmons. We do have a good crop of Japanese persimmons behind our house, but the deer wait for them to ripen, which is late September to October around here. We are seeing several sets of twins with their mamas. We are seeing several mature bucks. All are fat and healthy. I have seen at least two does with large warts on them and harvested one last season with a softball-sized wart on one thigh. It came off with the hide. I have been getting trail camera photos of hen turkeys with several young ones with them. I am also seeing several coveys of quail on my cameras. It is good to see them around again. It looks like we will have a good season this year for deer and turkeys.

With two weeks until the archery season opener, the muscadines in Macon County were showing a wide range of ripeness. Some should be dropping opening weekend.

“Praying this COVID mess will end soon. Y’all be safe and healthy, hope y’all  have a successful season. Take a child hunting. I will have my grandchildren with me a good bit.”

Twiggs County: Richie Green, of Jeffersonville, reports, “What a year this has been. How many times has that been said? Well, a small ray of hope is finally here… deer season. And I am ready to distance my rear 20 feet up any tree that will let me. The so-called ‘pandemic’ hasn’t really affected me because I live in the country and pretty much stay in the woods or my shop 90% of the time anyway. People are so scared of dying they are forgetting how to live. I retired in March, so this year will be special because I don’t have to worry about calling in to work when the bucks are chasing does… at least I think I used to worry about it.

“I didn’t plant any summer plots this time because I’m tired of wasting money, so I’m getting geared up for the fall ones if the rain will come. I have kept Trophy Rocks out year-round, and as always the deer are hitting them pretty good. I can’t tell much about the white oaks, but the water oaks are everywhere again. Most fruit trees are good, but the pear trees I have are breaking the limbs literally. The muscadine are loaded too, so if you have them or crabapples, your opening day is set with a good wind. I’ve got a couple of does with twins and one with triplets, so the herd is looking good. The bucks I’m looking for from last year are staying in the AC I guess, but I know they are there.

“I started hanging and moving stands in June and was pretty much done by the end of July, so I’m ready to sit in one and watch the woods come alive. If you haven’t experienced that in your life, I really feel sorry for you because I sure ate good this year and never stood in line once. Hope everyone has a great year and be safe.”