Even if you cannot find any deer sign, you are still in the game because bucks wander far and wide looking for receptive does. In fact, they'll travel for miles outside of their normal home range.

Regardless of what some hotshot deer expert might have said or written about the peak of the rut, bucks are looking for hot does for several more weeks after the rut peaks. Bucks are more than anxious to rendezvous with an amorous doe from about mid-October until as late as February, depending on the latitude.

It was once believed that bucks are more susceptible to winter mortality because they rut hard all fall and, for a few weeks during the critical pre-winter period, carry very little fat. However, a recent study in Pennsylvania indicated that the overwhelming majority of bucks that make it through the hunting season do survive until the next fall.

A big buck in your hunting territory that eluded everybody is probably still going to be there next year. And unless he is past his prime, odds are that he'll be even bigger.

TREE STANDS
Get the landowner's permission to erect tree stands, but don't damage any trees. Forget about those homemade stands that are spiked or nailed to trees. These can damage trees, rendering them worthless as timber.

Don't place too many stands in a plot of land, but do place enough stands (two, usually) to let you take advantage of various wind conditions. As a rule of thumb, you want the wind blowing your odors away from deer trails.

On the subject of deer trails, keep in mind that deer do not always move along well-defined trails. Often they will meander through feeding areas, browsing as they go. Placing a stand in a position where you are likely to get within shooting range may be difficult. In cases like this, look for "funnels," natural features that restrict deer movement. These can be briar thickets, a steep hill, a pond or any natural formation that forces a deer to alter its course of travel.

This may be the single most important factor in planning a hunt on patchwork habitat. Every situation is different, but if you find a trail through your hunting area that is used by virtually every deer in the area, be sure to place a stand nearby.

AREAS TO AVOID
It's true that one of the major advantages of hunting in patchwork habitat is that deer become accustomed to human activity. But even then, they can detect significant changes in human activity.

Disturbing their traditional bedding areas, for example, will usually cause deer to change their regular routine. The way to hunt bedding areas is by placing stands along trails leading to or from those bedding areas -- without getting too close.

You should place your stand far enough from a bedding area that you can get into and out without being detected by deer in the bedding area. Older deer may vacate an area once they realize they are being hunted.

If hikers or bikers have created a shortcut through your hunting area, use that shortcut to approach your stand whenever possible. The same goes for farm lanes or logging trails.

Don't feel that you are at any disadvantage because you are limited to hunting small patches of habitat. Remember, some of the biggest bucks taken each year often come from this very type of cover.

Hunting patchwork habitat can be challenging, but the rewards can far outweigh the effort it takes to succeed.