Im 43 and this is my first year deer hunting, I used torabbit hunt when I was a kid, and have wanted to hunt deer for years well this was the year I got a late start though it was the last week of october the first day I went , and I have yet to get a deer in front of me .. ha done off tothe side of me but she sighted me before I could get a draw on her, I have been told that no trip into the woods is a wasted one that you lear somthing everytime you go . well one thing I have learnt is that I think the deer are smarter than me,, every time I think I have them figured out they prove me wrong, they are proving to not be the predictable creatures I have read they are.. I have just a small area to hunt just a couple aceres and the deer pass through it to and form bedding and feeding areas but every time I set up close to one trail they esa another or I will see them several mornings in a row and the not see them for days. and I use good scent control I think I was my hunting clothes in the scent killing soad bathe with the scent killing body was use scent kiling dryersheets and scent killing spray, so guess the deer must be smarter than I most the guys I know that hunt have taken several deer one guy 7 already and he is still not done and other guys I know this being their first year have gotten deer ,, maybe Im just not a good hunter but am enjoying it all the same.. and not giving up. just thought I would share a little of my first year hunting..

Htoler, i have the same experience like you. I have the problem that i am 34 and started bowhunting and hunting in general THIS YEAR.
So as you can guess i only sighted deer running away from me, and two jackrabbits who ran away from me only feet in front of me. I don't really mind that i haven't had any real opportunity to get a draw on a dear yet. The two jackrabbits where my fault. I didn't spot them before i barged thru their bedding area.
I have taking the same precautions as you and have tried playing the wind. Now my conclusion is that they are indeed smarter then me , that is for now!
What i do realise is that bowhunting is going back to the roots of hunting. The advantage of a gun is gone so i enter an area that need much more knowledge and experience to get an opportunity to harvets a deer.
But i also checked the numbers and the numbers i have read is that 16% of the deerhunters filled their taglast year.
This means only one in six has been succesfull this year, or you will only get an opportunity once in every six years to get a succesfull shot at a deer!
Knowing this makes failure less hard and i try to see my trips into the woods as the learning curve i need to go through to become a succesfull bowhunter.
Even the fact that i have SEEN deer was a great experience, and i am certain that i once will have the opportunity to talk about my first deer. Untill then i try to be stuborn and try to beat the deer on their own turf.
But looking at the figures know that 84 % of the bowhunters are in our shoes too!