Well, first off, I obviously don’t have the answer to the title for this week’s story. If I had that answer, I would nail my buck right away every season, and I can assure you that has not been the case. Like most other hunters, I try my best to figure out where to hunt every time the season rolls around.

Most serious hunters will probably do some scouting in areas they intend to hunt, and with today’s trail cameras, many hunters are already looking over potential hunting areas. I’m sure a lot of hunters already have a good idea of what’s roaming the area, and very likely, they have already counted the points on any given antler. These days, some hunters even have names for the bucks they intend to hunt.

Of course, stand location is an important factor, but if you’re hunting from a permanent type treestand, you are locked into that location. Most likely, however, a lot of thought went into the placement of that stand so that it would be in a strategic location.

Those who own private land can place any number of those stands, but then you have to decide which one to hunt from and what times to be there.

If you are using a portable stand, like a lot of archery hunters use, then you can be on the move, locating your stand where you think your chances are going to be the best.

No doubt, most hunters, when trying to locate their stands — be they permanent or portable — are looking for a certain setting or surroundings that will lead to success.

As we move into fall, be on the lookout for what deer are feeding on, like the usual browse, but now acorns, beechnuts, apples, and a variety of agricultural foods like corn are also high on the menu. Corn is pretty high on the list; I’ve been seeing a number of deer in a recently harvested cornfield almost every day.

Finding a trail where those deer are coming and going in that field would likely be a decent location.

Most hunters are always on the lookout for well-used trails, especially those that lead to and from bedding and feeding areas.

Like most other hunters, as we move into these late-fall days, I begin looking for other obvious signs of antlered deer presence.

One of those obvious signs that even a lot of non-hunters are aware of are buck rubs. An increase in the male hormone testosterone is what causes the hardening of antlers and the shedding of the velvet that occurs by early fall. Once the velvet begins to peel, it’s usually gone in a couple of days, but bucks speed up the process by rubbing their antlers on trees, thus leaving obvious buck rubs. If there are buck rubs present, there’s a good chance bucks are nearby, and the more rubs, the better.

When trying to decide on a hunting location come fall, I also begin looking for scrapes. Scrapes are patches of ground pawed free of leaves and other debris by a front hoof. Scrapes may vary in size, and they are often found under overhanging branches or limbs. These scrapes are a buck’s way of revealing his presence to other bucks and to does. Scents from eye glands, saliva, and urine are left behind in the scrapes. Scrapes are the primary link between bucks and does that are ready to breed, but other bucks may also visit scrapes. Obviously, a good number of scrapes and rubs along a well-used trail between a bedding and feeding area may have some potential.

I’m heading out in the next couple of weeks to see if I can find that spot!