First, check prevailing wind direction. Alot of people put stands up where their scent blows in the direction the deer come from during shooting hours. You will see nothing all day if you do this, obviously.

During the rut, bucks will walk the main trails and scan for does. They don't like to crawl thru thick stuff at this time of year because they want to cover alot of ground in a short time. Look for main trails that skirt the downwind side of bedding areas because the bucks will scent check for does in the bedding areas. Place your stand on the downwind side of these downwind trails.