• Watch the weather — when ice and snow are forecast, be in the woods.
• Get on your stand early in the afternoon to avoid disturbing late afternoon deer movement.
• If given a choice, hunt areas with less hunting pressure.
• Do not over-hunt a mature buck.
• Beware of wind direction, hunting only in stands that put the wind in your favor.
• Pass up smaller bucks when a trophy is in the area.
• Use video trail cameras in addition to still cameras.
• Abandon box stands and set up climber along a travel route for a buck that doesn’t show up until late afternoon.
• Scout after season ends to find rubs, scrapes and trails you may have missed.
• Hunt early in season while bucks are in bachelor groups and not as wary.
