again thanks for the reply mottz, i am not trying to say what i do is better than what you do. i like to get a conversation started where i can listen to your strategy and compare it to what i have learned in the past to see if it would possibly add to my ever growing bag of tricks.

ya, i go to great lenghts to not step on a trail or ever come within 20 yards of an identified rub or scrape too. i have sat in my tree stands and watched a good buck once come across the one spot i walked across the trail and a single tall blade of grass brushed my pants leg. the buck stopped dead in his tracks sniffed the blade, and spin a 180 to quickly return the way he came to never be seen again. i have seen similar situations go down like this one which led me to make the decision to leave the deer alone all year till they are suddenly being hunted. i saw a dramatic improvement the first year out, it makes it hard cause i always want to be out there, scouting and taking pictures.

i do have stands in all locations in the woods, but some i don't ever hit for a couple years due to their location, i leave the bedding areas alone completely on some grounds but others i use them as a last resort to try and shoot that buck in the middle of the day when he stands up to stretch or quickly browse.