cfdjay

So this year I am going to try something totally new and hunt early season. This is totally new to me and for that matter prob will be to everyone who hunts Missouri. Besides hunting a water source, what other things should I consider?

jsasker

Travel routes,bedding areas,staging areas and food sources.

RiverBottomBowHunter

As jsasker hit on, staging areas. These are my early season favorites.
I like it because the deer are in the fields about every night. You can still pattern fairly easy. I like to find where they come out the most and set up just off the field in the woods. The more mature bucks seem to like to stay in these areas until dark. then they come to the fields.
just one of my ideas.

Fieldmouse

Shoot only in areas you don't think the big boy will show up. The big ones like to stay hidden until after dark in most areas until pootang is on their mind, November time frame. If you start to hunt areas early and shoot deer you will screw it up for the biggin. They will avoid that area during the daytime. If you must shoot early season hunt areas you want meat not wall hanger.

Hunt pine thickets in the morning where it stays cool during the day. Hunt water holes in the evening because they want a drink when they first wake up.

My personal prefrence is to wait until late October or early November. The deer are nasty to deal with. They have too many ticks and fleas. It's not worth dealing with them until after first frost. There are unlimited areas to hunt right now, so you can wait late in the season to meat hunt.

PABowhntr

I hunt both transition areas in the morning and food sources in the evening during the early season. My favorite morning stand is about halfway between the bedding and feeding areas. My favorite evening stand is literally on top of the corn/soybean fields.

portable ladder

travel routes, feeding areas, hunt over oaks that are dropping acorns