This is why it's called "hunting." I've been skunked for an entire season, it happens. But of all the things that you can do to improve your chances of success, the #1 thing is to just be in the woods! If you're not out there with your weapon, then there is precisely ZERO chance you'll get a deer. This year I shot my deer on the second to last day of the 9 day season after having seen like 5 deer the prior seven days without a shot (well, I did have one, but she was so little I just couldn't pull the trigger!). I was sitting in my spot, had another hunter walk right up to me and then go sit 50 yards behind and to the left of me, and there were a bunch of yahoos shooting shotguns like it was WW3 about 200 yards behind me too. I figured there was no chance I'd see anything and was contemplating packing up and heading home to watch football, when out of nowhere a decent bodied (175ish pound) buck with an uneven 4pt rack steps out not 20 yards away in a perfect little opening. Long story short, the venison landjaegers and summer sausage are delicious. If I had left, I probably would have not filled my tag, but I stuck around and it payed off.
Mike