The buck bolted from a tag alder swamp and hot footed it some 30 yards across a sawgrass flat. Even from my stand 200 yards away I could see the sun glistening off his symmetrical eight point rack. There was no hesitation. I shouldered my 270 and picked up the running deer in the scope. Just as I tightened my finger on the trigger, the animal pulled up and checked his back trail.

Call it a mistake on the deer's behalf or a golden opportunity for me, the crosshairs found their mark and the rifle cracked almost at the same instant. The big-bodied deer jumped straight up in the air and bolted for cover. He never made it. The 130-grain Nosler Ballistic Tip pushed by 58 grains of Hodgdon H4831 powder ripped through the animal's rib cage exiting with a hole the size of a quarter.

My buck was spotted and downed in less than 10 seconds! Had I hesitated or not been able to make the long shot, my prize would have ended up in another hunter's freezer.

Face it, deer hunting isn't getting any easier, there may not be a second chance for those who muff an opportunity to tag their buck.

I've always taken my deer hunting seriously, but in the last few years it has taken more than a serious attitude to consistently score on firearm season bucks. I've learned to work harder than the average guy and to trust little to luck. Perhaps more important, I've learned to concentrate on the basics and to be ready for any opportunity that presents itself.

Many of the hunting techniques that are getting ink these days simply aren't effective in the heavily hunted regions. Horn rattling is a prime example.

A technique that came out of the Texas brush country, horn rattlin' works best in areas where the buck to doe ratio is nearly even and breeding competition among bucks is keen. Most hunters in Michigan, for example, aren't blessed with this luxury. In fact, the buck to doe ratio is lousy throughout much of the state. Horn rattlin' in Michigan has some applications on private land, remote areas or regions that have a high percentage of bucks in the population, but this technique isn't likely to work for the average hunter.

Traditional techniques like stand hunting, small drives, and still hunting are far more productive. Of these three methods, I lean heavily towards stand hunting. I've shot most of my bucks from a stand and feel confident in recommending that being in the right place at the right time is still one of the best ways to collect venison.

The problem with many stand hunters is they don't stay on stand. Most of us suffer from what I'll call a lack of stand confidence. You reach your blind on opening day with hopes of scoring big, but those hopes fade quickly when the hours pass and nothing materializes. For many hunters, a serious lack of stand confidence can set in within a matter of hours or days.

When your confidence in a stand is gone, so will your ability to sit still and wait out that buck. I have simple advice for anyone who plans to stand hunt. Pick your stand sites carefully. The more effort you put into searching out the perfect stand, the more likely you'll have the confidence to sit it out.

I position my stands in bottle neck areas that concentrate deer movement through a relatively small area. Saddles between ridges, river or creek beds, meandering patches of lowland brush and grass that connect other cover types are all prime blind sites. These areas allow deer to move without being spotted easily.

Avoid the ridges, open fields, power lines, and other areas where deer must be conspicuous to cross. Even if bucks do cross these areas, they are likely to do so with the winds of hell on their tails. Young bucks are the most likely critters to get caught in the open. Unfortunately, even opportunities for these foolish teenagers will fade as quickly as nightfall puts an end to hunting on day one.

I wouldn't call my stands elaborate, but on the other hand, I like a little better hide than is possible by simply pressing my back against a tree. Most of my stands are three-sided structures made by lashing available brush, logs, and pine branches together with bailing twine.

When sitting, I like the blind to be shoulder high. This gives me maximum concealment and the top rail of the blind doubles as a solid rifle rest for making my shot count.

The seat is perhaps the most important part of any deer blind. If the hunter must sit in an uncomfortable position, he'll be fidgety and unable to concentrate 100 percent on spotting deer movement. I use one of the close cell foam seat cushions for comfort and fashion some type of back rest that allows me to relax and sit motionless for hours if necessary.

It's hard enough to find one blind that offers you the confidence to sit tight, but still I strive for two or more blind sites. Wind direction, other hunters in the field, and variables out of my control, have made having a second blind choice pretty handy at times.

When stand hunting early in the season I usually opt to stay in the blind all day. The first day or two of the firearm season are by far the best times to be afield. I maximize my hunting effort by staying in the field from sunup to sunset.

Staying warm and dry is the key to lasting all day in a deer blind. I often carry my heavy outer clothes to the blind in a backpack and get dressed at the blind site. This practice helps to prevent my body from getting over-heated and my clothes sweat soaked.

In extremely cold conditions, I pack in a wool army blanket and wrap it around me as needed to ward off a chill. Small handwarmers made from metal shavings in a cloth bag are also an excellent way to keep the body temperature at comfortable levels. These little gems feel great in gloves, boots, a pocket, or strapped to your kidney area.

Despite its effectiveness, stand hunting isn't for everyone. Those among us who must hunt with their legs as well as eyes should consider still hunting. Moving slowly and silently through heavy cover is an excellent way to make things happen in the deer woods.

I've found that combining still hunting with small drives is a good way to keep deer moving and deer/hunter encounters high. This technique works best in broken forest country where agricultural fields or open grasslands limit the areas that bucks can hide.

Small woodlots, swales, or swamps are some of the best places to set up a combination still hunt/drive. Two or three hunters are needed to organize this type of hunt depending on the size of the cover to be pushed.

Typical drives incorporate a line of hunters (drivers) who push quickly through a patch of cover, hoping deer will bolt out the opposite end to hunters (blockers) positioned to take safe shot angles. Sometimes this type of drive works, but just as often the deer backtrack or sit tight and avoid the drivers entirely.

Deer and other prey species seem to know instinctively that danger which approaches quickly is likely to pass by without incident if the animal simply sits tight. On the other hand, a hunter moving slowly through the woods, stopping, watching, and then moving forward again slowly is unnerving to a buck who would rather hide than run for it.

A slow but calculated one- or two-man drive is a great way to get deer moving. When confronted with a hunter approaching at a snail's pace, deer often move ahead at an alerted but not alarmed pace. The deer's attention is also focused on the hunter coming up from the rear, which makes these animals especially vulnerable to the blockers.

The best stand sites for the blocker(s) are bottle necks that funnel deer movement, well-worn deer trails, and narrow land crossing where bucks are likely to bolt from one cover to a safer hide nearby.

The blocker(s) must remain absolutely motionless to avoid spooking the deer back towards the driver(s). Two or three hunters working together can be very successful with this type of hunt. Unfortunately, adding additional bodies increases the chances that deer will get overly nervous and sit tight or bolt back between the drivers.

Whether on stand or a drive, having 100 percent confidence in your firearm of choice is a major aspect of successful buck hunting. In southern Michigan (Zone III), for example, firearm hunters have the option of using a shotgun, muzzleloader, or handgun. All three weapons are capable of delivering a clean kill when used properly.

Although it may come as a surprise to many, the new in-line muzzleloaders are becoming the weapon of choice for many southern Michigan hunters. In-line front loaders like the Modern Muzzleloaders MK-85 offer the hunter maximum range and accuracy.

Despite their single-shot limitations, I've discovered that the accuracy, overall range, and killing power of these blackpowder rifles is superior to shotgun slugs or handgun loads.

For handguns, a hollowpoint bullet mounted in a plastic sabot and pushed by Pyrodex propellant is the best possible combination for accuracy and down-range killing power.

Those hunters who prefer the firepower of a shotgun are wise to choose one with a rifled barrel matched up with sabot ammunition. Inside of 100 yards, a scope-sighted shotgun is capable of delivering a deadly blow to any deer.

Long-range shooting requires the snap, crackle, and pop of a centerfire rifle. Forgive me for my comments, but I'm not a big fan of the 30/30 Winchester or 35 Remington cartridges. Barely pushing a bullet 2,200 feet per second, I feel these calibers are little more than 150-yard deer guns.

My father-in-law calls these weapons shoot and chase guns, because a single shot (even one well placed) seldom puts a buck down in his tracks. I have more confidence in the speedy centerfire rounds like the 25/06, 270, 280, 7mm-08, 308, and 30/06.

Each of these calibers is capable of pushing various bullets from 2,800 to 3,100 feet per second. My favorite ammunition are those rounds produced on my own loading bench.

The bullets these cartridges contain are a vital part of any deer hunt. A good white-tailed deer bullet should expand quickly creating a bloody wound channel, yet retain enough weight to drive the bullet clear through the animal.

Over the years I've experienced good success with several bullets. My favorites include the 25 caliber Hornady 117-grain boattail soft point, 27 caliber Nosler 130-grain Ballistic Tip, 7mm caliber 140-grain Sierra GameKing boattail soft point, and 30 caliber Barnes X 150-grain X bullet. Each of these bullets is a winner when combined with appropriate powders and aimed at the boiler room.

Come the opening of deer season, your success or failure will depend on many factors. Although luck may shine on you, it's your advance planning that's more likely to make or break the hunt. Plan every aspect of your deer hunt this fall and trust lady luck on your lottery tickets.