Additionally, this is a fine time of year to see what was going on during the previous breeding season. In the dead of winter, it’s easy to identify rubs, scrapes and trails.

Since most of my hunting takes place during the rut, I want my tree stands placed for hunting at that time.

Any in-season scouting should be done carefully. This close to the season, intrusions will often alter buck movement, foiling your element of surprise. Deer can’t read a calendar and don’t know exactly when deer season opens. But they’ll soon notice increased activity in areas that were devoid of humans for the previous eight months.

MINIMIZE YOUR IMPACT
If you must prepare a location, make trails, build blinds or hang stands just before the rut, use extreme scent control. Try to visit the area on a rainy, windy day. The precipitation will wash away your scent and let you come and go undetected.

SCENT CONTROL
Every time we humans enter the woods, we leave some odor behind, even when we’re wearing rubber boots, cover scents or even a complete masking outfit including gloves and mask. Even after you depart the woods, your human scent may remain on the ground for days.

Two years ago, for example, I was hunting a finger of woods that paralleled a standing cornfield. I crossed a section of the field where the crop was stunted, thus providing easier access.

Later that morning, a tall-tined 10- pointer took advantage of this same easy route through the corn — that is, until he crossed where I had walked!

Even though I was wearing rubber boots and a scent-proof suit, he detected unfamiliar odors and bolted.

This is a prime example of how incredibly keen a deer’s sense of smell is. Achieving zero impact is nearly impossible, except possibly in conditions of driving rain or snow.

Controlling your human odor is a painstaking process, but when you do things right, you can become almost undetectable to deer.

Cleaning your body, clothing and gear completely with unscented soaps puts you ahead of the game.

But even using all the technology and techniques for controlling scent, hunting a stand in a poor wind will hurt your chances. Any buck in the area will get one whiff of you and slip out undetected, ruining the remainder of the season.

AVOIDING DETECTION
Once you’ve eliminated your odor, getting to your stand without stinking it up can be difficult, especially on a warm fall afternoon. Avoid sweating by stashing your heaver clothes in your pack instead of wearing them during your walk in. Allow yourself enough time so you can walk slowly and calmly and avoid working up a sweat. This advice holds for leaving your stand after dark, too!

Many years ago, I completed an evening hunt, slipped away from my woodland stand and cut across a field of alfalfa. Within moments, I heard the unmistakable sounds of deer snorting. I had busted a field full of whitetails!

After three more repeats of these events, even the does stopped visiting that field until well after dark.

THINK ABOUT IT!
Look over the area first to find the best way to get in and out undetected. Many times, the route you use to enter and exit the woods has as much impact on a successful hunt as where you locate your stand.