Everything mentioned above is good advice. There is no doubt IMO that having a good place to hunt helps. Genetics, food, and habitat are all important factors if you are looking for antlers that will make book "IF" that's what's important to the hunter. If your just looking to be successful in harvesting year after year there is no reason not to be if you work and put the time in.

Ridges, my favorite funnels and food plots are all good bets. Rut? that's easy hunt where the does are. Don't forget edgelines, deer love following edges of things. Weather it be a woodline , fieldline , treeline, fenceline or my scentline
Another tip if you are hunting the same land every year. Keep a map and mark rubs, bedding spots you found trails and everything you can record and "x" them on the map. You will begin to see clear patterns. Its quite remarkable.

I scout year round and pretty much am constantly thinking about new stand sites and where deer are going to travel. Wind and the ability to make the shot when it counts are key without being detected. Be patient and sit when other guys don't. Nobody can put the odds 100% in their favor without a rope around the deers neck. But you can become a skilled and accomplished hunter by just being a student of the sport and absorbing all the info you can and mostly in my experience learning from your mistakes. Every hunt you will learn something. It's just up to you to recognize what that is. Givin time you will begin to recognize things sooner. Its so fun cause we as hunters and students will never know everything and when we think we do, the deer mentor us and do something different. What a fabulous animal!