Here is the best advice i can give you. If you know where a big buck is, and you never really hunted this spot at all............the first time you hang your stand and hunt........IS THE BEST TIME TO KILL THAT BUCK. How many times have you heard someone say " we seen a nice buck in early october and then they never seen him again"? Becuase he is on food sources right now, find the food source and hunt it hard. I have a spot that big bucks use only during the rut, i stay outta that area till the rut, because i dont wanna stink it up too early. So any new place you hunt the first time is the best time to kill that trophy buck, period.