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I got a bug to do a DIY deer hunt out West next year, and it looks like October and November is out for me work schedule wise, so I need to find somewhere with a deer rifle season in September. I was surprised when I looked at Idaho and their deer season is open then, I'm pretty sure, anyway. Is the hunting any good at that time of year in ID? I would be happy with whitetail or mulies, would mostly be looking at public land, but would pay a trespass fee to hunt private, too. Any suggestions on areas to start researching? It looks like areas in the SC panhandle have the season open for when I am looking to hunt. I'm not looking for anyone's honey holes, just some basic information on the deer hunting there early in the season.

There are very few units open in Sept in Idaho unless you're a bow hunter. The general archery season is in Sept. A few units in the north open for rifle on Sept 15. Most of the deer in those units will be whitetails. The Clearwater area, units 16A,17,19, and 20, are open Sept 15 for either sex. You don't hear much about Idaho whitetails, but they tend to be underrated. I've seen some really good bucks.
In general, those units will be pretty brushy and before the leaves fall, deer can be darn hard to spot.

These observations are accurate, with the added info that much of these units falls into both the Frank Church and Selway Wilderness areas. You can actually drive the dividing boundary between these, and it is gorgeous, if rugged, up there. At any rate, Rock Chuck is correct in that those units are it for rifles, open Sept 15 through November 18 this year (2016) either sex for whitetails or muleys.