If you know where you're going to be hunting deer, it's best to prepare by visiting the site in late summer to scout for deer sign. Proceed as cautiously as you would if you were hunting, you don't want to scare deer away from the area just before hunting season starts! If you intend to use a deer blind, create several of them months in advance in different areas. Find the likely fall food sources, like trees with lots of acorns, and patches of clover and rye. Don't rely on your memory, make detailed notes.
Don't use the same spot on consecutive days, to keep the human scent from contaminating the area. Use scent elimination products, deer have a very keen sense of smell. Sprinkle baking soda in your hat to keep the human scent from escaping through heat loss and moisture. Keep in mind that most deer are shot downwind from a food source. Keep checking the wind direction to make sure you remain downwind of whatever food source you're staking out.
Sometimes it's possible to tell the sex of a deer from the tracks they leave. Large bucks tend to go over and around obstructions. If you're tracking a deer in snow, be aware that sometimes they circle around to see if they're being followed. Remain utterly motionless, and try not to fall asleep! Use a harness if you use a tree stand. It could save you some nasty injuries, or worse, if you fall asleep up in that tree.
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