One summer the talk of Waupaca County, Wisconsin, was a ginormous buck on the prowl. The giant was feeding in beans and alfalfa on a farmer’s property just ½ mile from Paul Keller’s 80- acre hunting spot. Through observation and low-impact scouting, Paul confirmed that the buck was walking a timbered ridge on his property to get to a patch of standing corn, also on Paul’s land. Paul hung a few tree stands on and near the ridge, and one day in September he killed one of the top bow bucks of 2012—the massive 27-pointer grossed 244! The buck was walking a timbered ridge within ½-mile of the fields… A spot like that is one of the best for early-season bow [...]

Here’s your 6-step plan: Stay sharp: It’s tough to keep your edge for hours when you haven’t seen a buck for a while. But do it. The minute you drop your guard and start daydreaming a monster will pop up within 50 yards. You never want that. When a big deer surprises you, you tend to get rattled, make a foolish move and spook him. So concentrate as much as you can. Scan the woods and try to pick up the flash of antlers or hide as far out you as can. That way you’ll have time to calm your nerves, stand up, shift into position and plan your draw and shot. Read A Buck: You glimpse a stud 120 [...]