I have hunted both time periods quite a bit. It does seem that you see more deer in early to mid November and they are definitely more concentrated. I prefer the late September time frame. It sounds crazy but here is my reason. When the bucks are in full rut they are constantly on the move, chasing and looking for "hot" does. We do a lot of glassing and it is not unusual in November to locate a shooter buck, and by the time you make the stalk he is miles away. In Sept and October if you locate a "shooter" chances are he will still be in his bed when you get there. Larsen Bay is a good area to base your hunt. I have always used Andrews Airways or Seahawk Air for the charter flights.They are great pilots that really know the Island. If you go in September hunt high and do a lot of glassing. Mike Carlson at Larsen Bay lodge also has a Beaver on floats. He might be cheaper as he is right there. The cheapest flights into Larsen bay are usually on scheduled flights with Island Air. One more word of advice. Kodiak can be decieving sometimes. Mountains look farther way than they are... If you see a shooter but are not sure you can get to him before dark, go for it! It is not as far as it seems. Also we like to hunt in pairs and we carry backpacks and bone out(or quarter) the meat right on the spot. This way you don't have to make that second trip to the kill site and worry about having some company with big teeth when you get there.Just my two cents. Sorry for the long post. Groundhog