big bucks won't put up with very much before they go completely nocturnal or move out of the area.. they didn't get that big for no reason.. and post rut it is tougher to hunt them because they are thinking about eating instead of sex... which therefore removing the 2nd head from the equation doubles their brainpower.... and seeing all kinds of strange creatures (us) and strange smells wafting around the woods has them really uptight... us in the woods to them is no different than us knowing there is a stranger with a gun sitting at your kitchen table...

therefore... you have to be well masked for scent... very quiet and very patient... the last thing you want to do is go walking around your hunting area... save that for august or september... get on stand well before the first trace of daylight... in michigan we can legally shoot half hour before sunrise to half hour after sunset... therefore i am on stand at least an hour before shooting time... this lets me slip in well under cover of darkness.. get setup (quietly as possible)... get situated and lets things quiet down... same goes for afternoon hunting... difficult to get on stand under cover of darkness so you have to be slow moving and quiet.... and leave well after dark... if there are deer around when shooting time ends stay put until they move off and you can slip out without waking the neighborhood...

for going in and out under cover of darkness one of the miners lights for your melon work very well... you may spook deer moving in the dark but they will not know "exactly" what you are and therefore will be more tolerant and not skidaddle on you...

unfortunately my money is going to be on those bucks comin by you before you can ever see what they are other than shapes...