You've found a good spot. Deer sign is all over the place.

Heavy trails crisscross a mixed forest floor. Gray-scarred tree barks offer solid evidence of a wall-hanger working this area in seasons past. A nearby creek, open fields and an overgrown thicket complete the necessities picture.

If you’re itching to put up a stand in this new-found promise land, don't. Not before you read on.

Timing

It's late August, and leafy foliage still covers trees and underpinnings. The dense forest floor is completely hidden from view to those perched high enough above.

Tempting edges and low-growth clearings, which present a decent shot in August, will be wide open to wary eyes come October. When the rut begins, you’ll stand out like a sore bowhunter against a stark November sky.

Location

Trail choices will change with seasons as well. When leaves drop, deer will abandon summer's open clover fields and move back under thinning canopies of oak to fatten up on acorns.

On public land, city-hunters will stumble up and down every marked trail close to blacktop. In urban areas, early-morning dog walkers will waddle across a few, too.

No matter where you are, if you plan on hunting beyond opening weekend, it's best to choose a spot deeper into the woods, a spot that will produce deeper into the season. Pick out a blind or tree location with sufficient cover to break up your outline — both in front of and behind you.

Remember, whenever setting up an early-morning or a late-afternoon ambush site, always pay close attention to the relevant time's sun location and use natural shaded areas for better concealment. A bright afternoon sun in an arrow-slinger's eyes can be crippling. Take a trick from classic westerns: Put the sun in Mr. Buck's eyes.

Look for an ambush tree one large enough to block a deer's view as it approaches your shooting lane. This will allow sufficient time to draw back your bow and settle your sight pin without being detected. If you're a ground hunter, clear away dead leaves and twigs to prevent unwanted rustling and trim away any low overhanging branches that might interfere with your draw.

Practice

If you use a pop-up tent type of blind, practice shooting through the windows in low-light conditions. Can you see? Did the lower bow limb kick off your leg because you were worried about the upper limb hitting the roof? Did the shoot-through mesh mess up your shot? If you think it did, it will.

Set up your stand or blind in a way that will give you confidence in your shot. Nothing's worse than sitting there all day wondering if that buck's going to bust you and slowly realizing you should have done something different back in August.

Ground-blind hunters should also invest in a comfortable hunting stool/chair and practice shooting from it before the day of the hunt. Tree-stand hunters need do the same; invest in a comfortable stand and practice shooting from it before the big moment arrives.

Being comfortable allows you to sit quieter and sit longer both keys to bowhunting success. Practice builds confidence in the shot, and chances are you'll only get one. Make it good.