IMO the biggest thing is the ability not to shoot. I haven't taken a buck in3 years.

Another thing that helps is not over hunting a single area. Time in the woods is very important, but not if it means hunting the same spot more than once a week.

Scouting is key too, but my personal experience has been that soon as hunting season comes in they will be gone chasing does. Be somewhere with a gun in November.

The very best hunters I know only take a buckabout every two years. Most hunters I know take 2 bucks a year(all thats legal), but that doesn't make them good. Bigbucks aren't that common. If they were it wouldn't be much of a challenge, would it?