Various physical features can create a funnel. They can be steep hillsides, bodies of water, strips of cover in otherwise open areas or manmade intrusions. Usually, a funnel is a combination of two different features. Be alert for trails, crossings or anything that might cause or signal funneling of deer movements.

Distressing as it is to mention this, trail cameras are often stolen. For this reason, do not set one up where other people are likely to see it. Set up trail cameras in thickets or on steep slopes -- which will also improve their effectiveness. These cameras generally have wide-angle lenses, so their targets need to be close.

Learn how to set the timer on your camera(s). Knowing precisely when a buck passes is very useful information, even more so if you can get a series of photos of the same buck.

PRE-SEASON ACTIVITIES
Do as much of your scouting as possible in mid-August and September, or at least a month before your local bowhunting season begins. This is because the older a buck gets, the more likely he is to be alerted and disturbed by human intrusions. Too much scouting just before you actually start hunting can upset deer enough to change their behavior. There are some things you’ll need to do just before a hunt, but try to keep your activities to a minimum.

Among the most important things to accomplish well in advance is picking stand locations. Select several options, so that you can quickly adapt to changes in deer behavior, wind direction or forest conditions, and so that you needn’t hunt the same stand every time.

Stand locations normally take advantage of deer movements. Glassing and using trail cameras are preliminary steps in determining deer travel routes. Next comes looking on the ground for tracks and other factors nearby that might be influencing deer movements, such as food sources or cover.

Examine any tracks you find very closely. There are clues that can help determine whether they were made by bucks or does. Are larger tracks mixed with smaller ones? Those were probably left by does with fawns. Are the tracks very large? That can be a good indication of a bigger buck. Are the fronts of the tracks pointed or slightly rounded? Rounded points can indicate the tracks of a buck. (The rounding is caused by excessive travel and pawing at scrapes.)

As fall progresses, look for rubs and scrapes, which of course are signs of pre-rutting activity. These might not appear until very close to hunting season. Rubs can provide very good clues to antler size. Normally, larger bucks tend to rub larger trees. Wide, multi-tined antlers often get tangled in brush. Look for limbs ripped from trees or brush that’s been twisted and uprooted.

Find stand locations that give you confidence, because confidence will keep you in your stand longer and will get you there more often. Persistence is one of the most important virtues for successful bowhunting.

At each good stand location, pick at least two different places to set up. Your primary place should be made in relation to the most common prevailing wind direction. Scent is the most common reason for deer detecting a hunter, so place your stands downwind of where you anticipate deer will travel.