The whitetail deer season opens on August 15 in South Carolina and runs through the end of January in many states, offering nearly a half-year of adventure.

Few of us can hunt that many days, yet most can squeeze out a week or two for an adventurous out-of state hunting trip. But with so much time available, which weeks are the best?

Planning ahead for that special trip allows you to tune up your best bow or rifle, make the necessary travel arrangements, and apply well in advance for vacation time. Bernie Barringer give his pick for the four best weeks of the year in this informative post from OutdoorHub.

When planning an out-of-state trip to hunt whitetails, one of the first questions to be answered is when to schedule the trip. There are four weeks that I believe offer the best chances of success. Let’s examine each of the periods and provide you with some information that will help you better plan the timing of your hunt.

The first week of the season offers the opportunity to catch deer totally off-guard. Their daily patterns are somewhat predictable in late summer and early fall. Bucks are often still keeping to bachelor groups and are quite visible during daylight hours. They are focused on feed and water during the night and finding cool bedding cover for the daytime.

Another important factor is the length of the daylight hours. Their stomachs are growling and sending them to the fields well before dark. The opening week gives an advantage to the hunter.  Pleasant weather is another advantage to early season hunting. There are no worries about getting cold on stand or toting a heavy coat that you will pull on once you get into the stand and settle in.