I think you can have confidence in your gear and in your setup, but in the end there is unavoidably a dose of dumb luck or coincidence to have that animal walk near you. You can apply skill to your scouting, and make your best GUESS as to where to hang that stand, but it's not all about the hunter's skill.

By definition hunting is unpredictable, and if you could base success entirely on your skill, then it just wouldn't be hunting.

No matter what we might tell ourselves, or what the magazines and television shows tell us, a deer is going to do whatever it darn well pleases.