By: Jay Roberts, CEO of Shoshone Adventure Consulting, LLC.

Most people think of Labor Day Weekend as the traditional end of summer. The mention of the date conjures images of barbecues, college football, and maybe dove shoots.  Labor Day is the time when you really start thinking about hunting season and cooler temperatures being just around the corner.  Instead of waiting on both, you should consider spending your next Labor Day chasing Whitetail in Alberta.

While I love pursuing all types of game around the world, archery hunting for whitetail remains my favorite. When it comes to Whitetail hunting, I primarily hunt on my farm down in Kansas.  Perhaps the only downside of Kansas Whitetail hunting, is the one tag rule.  This means that if I hunt early season and get lucky, I will have to endure the remainder of the season without a buck tag in my pocket. Though this use to trouble me in the beginning, in recent years I’ve finally found my answer: Early Season Whitetail Hunting in Alberta.

The province of Alberta boasts vast expanses of diverse terrain, ranging from dense forests to sprawling prairies, providing the perfect habitat for trophy whitetail deer to thrive. These magnificent creatures are highly adaptable, making them prevalent throughout the province, from the foothills of the Rocky Mountains to the grasslands and prairies of the Southeast. For hunters, Alberta offers a prime destination to pursue whitetail deer against a backdrop of breathtaking scenery.

I first went to Alberta a couple of years ago to one of Shoshone’s Best Alberta Outfitters.  I was speaking with him about booking a hunt for a client and he told me he really needed a couple of early season archery hunters to try and get some of the “big boys” that clients from last year had not harvested. I quickly told him, “He’d found his man!”  I was able to harvest a great eleven pointer that is my largest bow buck to date.  

If you are a serious whitetail hunter and have not made your way to Alberta, and particularly, for an early season archery hunt, you are simply missing out. While Kansas and many other Midwest states are great, I truly believe that Alberta offers the greatest opportunity to harvest a trophy whitetail, especially in the early season.  When hunting with an Alberta outfitter, your tag is guaranteed and you don’t have to worry about a draw. Alberta does an excellent job of managing the number of tags issued, making this hunt a seemless and high quality opportunity to harvest a trophy whitetail like few provinces and states can provide.

In most states in the lower 48’s, Whitetail hunting Labor Day Weekend is not an option, as the season hasn’t started yet or the temperatures simply aren’t conducive to hunting yet. Not so in Alberta. The season comes in September 1st and temperatures are typically cool and pleasant. The deer are highly patternable going to and from food sources this time of year. You also get the bonus that the bucks are in velvet and everyone needs a velvet whitetail for the wall.

So if you’re a serious whitetail hunter and want to expand your season, try a Labor Day Weekend hunt to Alberta.  You can enjoy fall weather and the start of hunting season earlier than most places and still come home with tags in your pocket for your state.  Most importantly, you might get your largest buck to date. You will not be disappointed!