If you find this type of area, try to intercept a buck as he enters or exits from it on one of his travel routes.

If highly pressured, most mature bucks will become nocturnal. The trick is not to educate them of your presence. At least an hour before sunrise, position yourself on a high vantage point. With your high-powered optics, try to locate bucks leaving feeding areas that contain water and plenty of lush vegetation.

High alpine bowls along the northeast slopes are usually good areas to watch. Glass them as bucks meander to higher ground on their way to their well-established day beds. Now it's time to set up your plan of attack.

Wary old bucks prefer to bed in shady cool areas at the base of bluffs or tucked against rock ledges. With their backs protected and the wind at their face, they relax comfortably while escaping the heat of the day. Mule deer could scratch out their bed from the ground within a small group of trees, a lone boulder or just nestled in the sage on the side of a slope.

4. Spot And Stalk
I position myself well before first light in a spot where my optics can reach out and comb a large area. I spend hours carefully dissecting the shadows cast by every boulder, bush or tree. I try to pick out the smallest of movements: an ear twitch, a slight tail movement, a patch of leg.

Once in a while, you can catch the full figure of a buck or movement of his rack as he repositions himself to escape the sun's rays.

When I find a buck worth pursuing, I put him to bed and give him plenty of time to settle in for the day.

There's no rush, because the waiting game has just begun.

Next, you must wait for the thermals to change and flow upward. This usually happens during the mid-morning hours. Don't begin your stalk before the thermals have stabilized. Swirling wind currents will give you away.

Now it's time to make your move and slowly position yourself for a stalk. Use the contour of the land to conceal your movements. Most of the time, the terrain will be so steep that a slight-angle approach from above is best to secure your footing and to prevent rocks from dislodging.

5. Hunting Water Holes And Seeps
Depending on where and what months you choose to hunt, temperatures can be extremely warm, and water can be scarce.

Seek out a water hole or even a seep where deer feel secure enough to sneak in for a drink every day.

Setting up a tree stand or pop-up blind near a water source can be productive if you have the patience for it. If you decide on this method of hunting, be prepared to sit it out all day.

Remember that deer need water, and it's not unusual for a big buck to get thirsty and visit his regular watering hole during midday hours.