Archery-only season offers prime hunting due to its early opening date. These are the basics that you need to know to hunt deer and turkey during archery-only season:

• Review archery-only hunting regulations for your county in the Outdoor Annual online or in the app. It's also available in Spanish. 
• Deer hunters should review current information about chronic wasting disease (CWD), including zones and check stations.
• Deer harvested in CWD zones must be taken to a CWD Check Station for sampling within 48 hours of harvest – there are no exceptions.
• Deer hunters should review carcass movement restrictions. 

While bowhunting, you are required to carry proof of the following:

• Hunting license with endorsement for archery.
• Turkey hunters need an Upland Game Bird endorsement.
• Hunter Education certification is required for hunters born after Sept. 1, 1971. You can verify your certification online.

If you harvest a mule deer or a white-tailed deer in a CWD zone, it must be taken to a CWD Check Station within 48 hours so a sample can be taken and tested for CWD. Testing is free.

CWD Check Station procedure is quick and easy. Watch the process in our new video What to Expect at a CWD Check Station. 

If a CWD Check Station is unattended, you can still leave part of your harvest for testing by using the Dropbox. Find out how to do it in our short video How to Use a CWD Station Dropbox.

Get your harvest tested – even if you are not hunting in a CWD zone, it's a good idea to have any deer harvest tested. 

If you plan to use a tree stand this season, hang it in your backyard first to check it for needed repairs and to oil anything that squeaks. 

Be aware that the #1 cause of hunter incidents in the U.S. is due to falls from tree stands. For tips on how to stay safe when using a tree stand, see our 90-second video Hunter Education: Tree Stand Safety.