For those of us here in the southeastern corner of the Pennsylvania archery deer season is set to open this Saturday. That gives archers here a two-week head-start on a season that won’t open statewide until Oct. 4. Bowhunters in a section near Pittsburgh also get that extra two weeks.

While that additional bowhunting time afield might seem like a nice gift from the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC), there are a number of drawbacks to those early weeks. For one thing it’s likely to be muggy and buggy. After all, when that opening weekend hits town it’s still summer with autumn not kicking in until Monday, Sept. 22. Even then conditions for stalking whitetails will be less than ideal.

Hunters breaking a sweat on their way to their stands are more likely to be detected by the deer’s sensi

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