It is tempting to think that only a couple of hunts during the early season won't hurt anything, but I have come to learn otherwise. Just last season this point was hammered home to me. On the evening before firearms season opened, I was hunting from one of my favorite stands situated along the exit route of a prime bedding area. For the last hour of daylight, a buck within the cover was making a nuisance of himself with some does and fawns. He chased them around within the cover grunting almost continually. I caught a couple of glimpses of him through the brush and noticed long tines angling forward on his ivory rack. I suspected that he was the same big buck that I had jumped from another nearby stand a couple of weeks before. The does finally had enough of the would-be Romeo and came past my position with plenty of shooting time remaining. I just knew that it was only a matter of time before the big boy followed. I knew he was still in the brush as I could hear him and occasionally even get a quick glimpse of him through branches and brush. Fifteen minutes later I started getting nervous as the sun began to set and the does moved farther and farther away. I fished out my grunt call and hoped to get the brute to thinking that another buck was now courting his lady friends. It didn't work. The buck remained in the thick cover until it was too dark to shoot. I finally slipped away wondering just how big he really was. The next morning, as firearms season was just minutes old, my friend Henry Hortenstine killed a giant 15-point buck from a nearby stand. That brute gross scores over 190. I am fairly certain that it is the same buck I saw in the thick cover the evening before. As I think back over that experience, I firmly believe that this buck knew the exact location of my stand; probably because I had hunted in it a few times earlier in the season. While I am genuinely happy for Henry, having a buck of that caliber so close and not closing the deal is a good way to remember this lesson for a long time.

Over-Scouting
Another big mistake that archery hunters make is they continually stomp about their hunting area throughout the season under the guise of "scouting." Now I am not denouncing the benefits of in-season scouting. It is certainly a valuable tool in some cases. However, for an experienced hunter in an area that he has hunted for years, stomping through the area is counter productive. In this situation a hunter should already know all that he needs to in order to succeed. The travel routes of the local deer are not going to change much from year to year barring any major changes within the habitat. Stands should be set well in advance of the hunting season and the area then left undisturbed. It really doesn't matter if you see big rubs or other sign in your area. Waltzing through your hunting area will do nothing positive for your chances if you are already familiar with the area. It will do a lot to cut your odds of success, however. Every time you walk through your hunting area you will leave human scent. You will also likely jump deer and in general put the local herd on alert. A mature buck will put up with very little of this. He demands seclusion, and if he doesn't find it on your property, he will go elsewhere. That is a fact that you can take to the bank.

Conclusion
If you are hunting in a good area but are not having the success that you desire on mature bucks, the problem is likely not stand placement. As I stated before, I believe the majority of archery hunters are pretty adept at choosing good stand locations. Instead, look at some of these other variables. You are likely a lot closer to killing more big bucks than you realize. Tweaking your approach a little may be all that is needed. You are probably already in the right spot.

Editor's note: Signed hardback copies of "Hunting Trophy Whitetails in the Real World" can be purchased online at higginsoutdoors.com or by sending $23 plus $5 shipping and handling to Don Higgins, Rt 1 Box 271, Gays, IL 61928.