Use U.S. Department of Agriculture and County Farm Bureau aerial photos and plat maps to locate farms that offer a mix of crops and wooded cover. These photos and maps give excellent indications of where deer are likeliest to bed, travel, and feed. With this knowledge, you can save time by scouting the most probable areas rather than having to walk entire farms. Mature bucks will become wary of rattling antlers and grunt calls if too many hunters use them. If that's the case in your area, sit quietly downwind of a buck's bedding area in thick cover.
Rain washes the slate clean.
Come back after a rain to check for fresh tracks and droppings that show where deer have moved most recently. Stands Perfect shots occur when a hunter and an unknowing deer are in the same place at the same time. The Drury hunters spend many hours studying deer movement patterns before zeroing in on exactly where to hang a tree stand. Then they take every precaution to keep the deer from knowing where the stand is and when it is being used. When first hunting a new area, hang observation stands in locations that offer good views of deer movement.