I got a deer in my first season. It was at the very end of the hunt, the last 15 minutes of the season to be precise. It was a doe, legal in Oklahoma. Does actually taste better, typically, than bucks. I had a shot at a buck on opening morning and probably would have succeeded in taking it, but I never took the shot. My hunting host had been bragging so much about the big bucks on his property I figured it would be dumb to settle for something that small. My host showed up, I told him I had been watching a buck for 15 minutes, he said where, I told him, and he immediately shot at but missed the buck. I guess he didn't feel like holding out more than 2 hours for those bigger bucks he was telling me stories about.

So to try to help you out. Are you willing and legally able to take a doe? Are you seeing does within rifle range? If you aren't seeing does, you probably won't see bucks -- bucks are more wary than does and bucks tend to like to hang around the does during the hunting season.

Do you know that your hunting location has deer? Do you know where those deer like to eat and where they like to sleep? You need to position yourself where you will be able to observe/shoot the deer as they pass between eating and sleeping locations while you remain both largely concealed and downwind of the deer so they can't smell you. Choosing your set-up position is very important.

You want to be in position at least 30 minutes before legal shooting light in the mornings. The best hunting in the morning will be the first 2 hours of legal shooting light. You want to be in position about 3 hours before sundowwn at night. The best hunting in the evening will be the last 2 hours of legal shooting light. Why? Because deer are prey species -- other animals eat deer and deer eat plants. Deer are naturally very cautious and wary, because they don't want to be killed an eaten. They will feed either in the dark or at first and last light and move to places of concealment to rest during daylight hours. Thus, at first light deer are moving from feeding areas to bedding areas; at last light deer are moving from bedding areas to feeding areas. When they move, the deer will probably not walk through the middle of a field with open ground surrounding them for 300 yards. They will walk along the edge of the woods -- either just outside the woods or just inside the woods -- they will follow little depressions in the land where they can stay hidden or visible to a little surrounding territory as possible. On the other hand, they will try to avoid the most difficult path while still remaining relatively hidden. Look for deer tracks and deer paths to determine their preferred routes.

Scent control and camoflage may be helpful, but for rifle hunters they are not necessary. If you are downwind of the deer, they aren't going to smell you at 100 yards. If you are still, if you move slowly, if you place yourself in the shadows, if you are not silloutted on a hillside, if you position yourself to have brush concealing your legs in front of you and trees or other shapes breaking up your shape behind you, camoflage won't give you a great deal extra edge. Do move slowly. Do place yourself in the shadows. Be aware that your face "flashes" as you turn your head -- shows first a bright aspect and then a darker aspect, flashing as it were, as you turn and your face reflects the light -- and consider using either camoflage face paint (messey) or a camoflage face net (easy).

Hunt at the right time, at the right place, and be still and you will see deer. Hunt where there aren't any deer, and you are in trouble. Hunt with the deer upwind of you, and you are in trouble. Hunt where the deer can readily see you, and you are in trouble. Hunt where the deer will have to cross hundreds of yards of open space to give you a shot -- maybe because it is thought this location is good for THE HUNTER because it gives unobstructed shooting lanes -- you are in trouble.

Hope some of this helps.