You can’t go wrong hanging tree stands in these spots the next 2 weeks: Break Line: Look for a linear strip where pines, cedars or hardwood trees come together with brush, tall grass or second-growth saplings. Deer walk and browse on these edges; bucks rub and scrape on the lines as the rut approaches. Oak Ridge: A narrow hogback with acorn trees within 100 yards of a corn or bean field is one of my favorite spots. Deer cut around points, ditches and gullies on a ridge; hang stands on these terrains to funnel bucks close. Bucks will stage, eat acorns and browse in ridge thickets not only in the evenings, but in the mornings as well. Creek or River [...]

On a crisp, colorful afternoon several years ago, Ontario bowhunter Shane Good shot the buck of his dreams, a 171-inch giant (see picture). The next season, on October 27, Shane ran his climber up the same tree and watched incredulously as another buck—bigger than last year’s—rolled onto the scene. He grunted, and the giant came on a string. Shane’s shot was true; the main-frame 10-pointer scored 176! I emailed Shane and told him how cool it would be to shoot a third monster from the same tree 3 years in a row. This guy is a tremendous bowhunter who was on a hot streak, and I thought he could do it. He sent me this note and photo the next [...]

Right now, bucks are relatively docile and still locked into their summer bed-to-feed patterns. So long as you don’t press them too hard, they’ll keep moving reasonably well at dawn and dusk. Tweak these setups to your land. There’s a darn good chance you’ll tag out early. The Choke Point One September I hunted in sprawling alfalfa and corn country where you could see deer coming and going for miles. The only way to have a fighting chance with a bow in a big spot like that is to narrow the country down, way down. During the middle of the day when the deer weren’t out, I looked around for two hours and sized things up. Then I tucked a [...]