I think the key may be to not continually spook the deer. The first stand I ever put up myself (back in highschool) was in a great place. The first year I hunted from it I saw deer every day. However, the stand was in an open area and I spooked a lot of deer also. The next year I saw fewer deer. The year after that I saw 1, that's right, ONE deer from that stand all season. I learned a valuable lesson: try to place your stand in a way that will minimize spooking the deer. I now have no problems seeing deer each year from stands I put up because I try to minimize my impact on the area.