With the fall season right around the corner, colder weather is starting to begin. Thankfully, there is a ton of different types of hunting that anyone can do. This might mean hunting for birds, big game, or even small game. You might want to go rifle hunting, or maybe archery sounds interesting. Here’s Your Complete Guide to the Fall Hunting Season!
Here, we are going to go over many different types of hunting that are coming up in this fall season and where to go. First, let’s break down some of the species you can potentially pursue this fall. Then break them down into a few categories! These include:
- Big game – whitetail deer, mule deer, elk, antelope, turkey, caribou, and moose
- Small game – rabbit, squirrel, and raccoon
- Predators – bear, mountain lion, coyote, wolf, and bobcat
- Game Birds – grouse, quail, dove, and pheasant
- Waterfowl – duck, geese, and swan
As you can see, there are a ton of different animals to decide on! Your first step should be figuring out what you would most like to hunt. Then do a little research on that animal and where the nearest place you can hunt it. And don’t worry, you can easily hunt more than one species every fall season!
Small Game and Birds
Many new hunters will choose to get started hunting with something a little smaller like small game and birds, whether its game birds or waterfowl. These species usually offer an easier option to get started with, and more opportunities depending on the area. These species are more widespread as well, making them easier to find locations to hunt for them.
Hunting seasons are very liberal for animals like rabbits and squirrels and usually last for several weeks to many months during the fall. This rings true for birds like quail and dove as well. Simply look up your state and the open seasons for them, pick up a small game license, and get out to the woods!
Big Game and Predators
Most hunters will want to pursue some type of big game every fall, with the most popular species being deer and elk. Most western states will begin elk season in August or September with an archery hunt, typically when the elk are rutting. This can be a great time for archery hunters, but many states will also offer limited rifle tags during this time as well. General rifle tags for elk can be had later in the fall as well. Some of the most popular states for elk hunting include Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.
Deer are easily the most popular animal to hunt in the fall, whether it be whitetail or mule deer. Depending on the state you want to hunt, seasons, tags, and weapons you can use will differ drastically. If you are after mule deer, many hunters consider Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada to be the best states for big muleys. If whitetail deer is more of your speed, you will have even more options for whitetail hunting. Some big deer areas for trophy whitetail include Kansas, Texas, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Wisconsin, and Canada.
Conclusion
Small game and bird hunting can be a great way to get your feet wet this fall hunting season, but if you are looking for even more of a challenge, chasing deer and elk this fall will easily give you a great challenge.
Check out our blog for new fishing and hunting guides all year round!
