"The main thing to remember is that you're really going after an individual deer now, and I think you really have to capitalize on those summer observations and get on the buck immediately, because some big deer just completely disappear once they go off their summer patterns. I've seen it happen many times. I feel bucks are just moving off to a different range for the fall, then lying low until the rut. They're not necessarily spooked. They're just being big bucks."

The next "season" is the rut, and for Sutter, this phase actually consists of several stages, and the older bucks -- those 4 1/2 years and older -- are vulnerable only during two distinct segments.

"The first is prior to peak breeding when the biggest deer are still in their home range but the does aren't in heat yet," Sutter noted. "And the other time is just after peak breeding when the big bucks are still looking for the last available doe. Everyone gets excited about 'peak rut,' which occurs Nov. 4 to Nov. 8 here, and it's certainly possible to shoot a really nice buck then. But I think the oldest bucks are locked down with does and very difficult to kill then. I believe that during peak breeding, hot does actually go to the bedding areas of mature bucks and find them. And the reason I believe that is because I so rarely see the really old mature bucks running cross-country looking for does. I see 2 1/2- and 3 1/2-year-old bucks do that constantly, but rarely the big guys."

When hunting during the rut, Sutter relies on stands placed in terrain funnels that will direct a buck's movement as he travels.

"I've shot more truly big deer in funnels than in any other type of stand location," he stressed. "Scrapes and rubs are nice to find, but they can mislead you, while a funnel will rarely let you down. Because when a big buck decides to move through a certain area, that funnel is going to tell you where he almost has to go. And that's where I want to be sitting. Even better, once you find these areas, you can count on them producing for more than just one deer. Some of my best stands are located in funnels I discovered years ago."

Sutter points to the buck mentioned at the beginning of this story as an example of a funnel steering a buck toward a particular stand location.

What about rut-related tactics such as grunting and rattling? Sutter uses them constantly, but stressed that the success of such techniques can vary widely.

"I think one of the keys to rattling success is just the buck-to-doe ratio in the area you're hunting," he said. "The fewer the does, the more competition among mature bucks, and the greater the odds you have for rattling or calling deer. I've hunted areas in southern Iowa where I feel I have an excellent chance at blind-rattling in a buck, but here in Wisconsin, I prefer to see him first. I think our deer are just smarter because of the hunting pressure they see. I want to watch a buck to see his mood and judge how he's reacting to rattling."