Most deer hunters live in suburbs and cities today, and they aren't intimate with productive deer habitat. The months when a hunter should begin putting in field time are also the time of summer family vacations. Sometimes success depends on a hunter's ability to convince a spouse and children to spend a part of their vacation in deer country. Failing that, most hunters are also trout anglers who spend a fair amount of time fishing each summer. Since deer and trout often occur in the same general area, it might be worthwhile to fish where you plan to hunt this fall. I spend dozens of days in the woods every summer looking for grouse, duck and trout habitat, and that is the way I learn the movements and locations of deer and elk in our neighborhood. The thing to do is to organize your day, so you can spend an hour or two at the hunting grounds, then you have the bulk of the day for fishing with family and friends.

A basic rule of thumb: You should make three or four trips to your hunting area between July and opening day.

GOOD SHOTS KILL DEER
It doesn't matter how many bucks you see if you can't regularly and automatically put your bullet or arrow into a vital area. As with scouting, most hunters do not have lives today that allow them to spend much time with a gun in their hand, let alone shoot it. However, you need to be absolutely comfortable with your weapon to make a clean kill, and the only way you are going to accomplish that is to put in regular, considered and realistic practice with your gun or bow.

For modern firearms hunters who live in the suburbs or cities, this virtually always means visiting a commercial range. It will cost you time and money, but as little as one session a week over the course of a year will greatly improve your marksmanship and knowledge of how your firearms perform with different loads and at different distances. Bowhunters usually have it somewhat easier, because they can practice in their yards or at metropolitan outdoor ranges.

One critical, but often neglected, aspect of shooting is the ability to estimate range. Far more deer are missed or wounded every year by hunters who inaccurately guess the distance of the animal than by poor shooting, and yet, learning how to judge distance is not possible at an indoor range.

For one, the background can often be tricky in the field. Deer may seem closer than they actually are when standing in an open flat that melts away to a distant horizon. Similarly, deer observed in thick cover may either seem farther or closer than they really are, depending on light conditions and shade.

The only way to become proficient at judging distances requires working at it in the field, and there's no better time in the field than when you are scouting. You can refine your skills dramatically by guessing distances during your day-to-day routine. Look at a distant telephone pole or parked car and estimate how far it is, then mark it off as you approach. You will be amazed at how quickly your accuracy improves.

As the season draws near, it becomes critical that hunters begin to craft their target practice so it more accurately duplicates hunting conditions. Unlike the rifle range, it isn't likely that you will be presented with a broadside shot at a deer in the field while you sit on a stump.

Many of the more comprehensive shooting ranges today offer lifelike shooting stations. If you can find one of these, patronize it.