Guys
I find walking in an hour before has been a good thing as the deer are still out on the fields where I hunt,your right that the bucks are 1st back as they like to be alone during the rut. When I walk into a bedding area to hunt I'll walk 10 steps and grunt as I'm walking and stopto listen. I'll start and stop till I get to my stand and have found this really makes the deer feel more safe.
I've actually had deer come out to the trail and see me at 10 yards and not bolt. I'll then snort wheeze if I hear a snort telling me I've been scented. This tacticreally seems to relax them . This is all on trial n error guys and I've done this for 12 of the 15 years I've bow hunted . It works great for me, before hand I was walking in andgetting busted all the time.Give it a try ,and also I'll only start this procedure with in a 100 yards of the bedding area I'm hunting.
Also look for their bedding areas on the side of a south side slope as this is the warmest spot during daylight areas so they don't use up so much body heat. Plus look for the gnarliest bush along that slope and I'll guarantee that's his bedding area, I haven't shot the biggest deer in the world, but have takena few in the 170 plus range and some in the 160 range and lost a 200 plus buck this past season on a 12 yard shot,that I may still find as I can't believe he isn't dead on a 12 yard 1/4ing away shot that the arrow was buried to the fletching behind the shoulder. Tons of blood for 70 yards then nothing[
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Best time to find these bedding areas are right now while you still have some snow in thebush showing you the trails to and from bedding areas. Don't be shy and think that tight bush ahead of ya could hold a deer as they are the spots that we walk bye and bye each timeout with outeven a glance. All the time he canbe in his bedand watch you go by and walk out behind you. I've seen this a few times too
Good luck and good shedding and hopefully you'll find some honey holes for next season. Give it a shot if you haven't tried it Shultzy.
Rocky