There are many types of funnels, but when you find one that leads to a bedding or food source, you have found a honeyhole. If you are able to select a good tree to climb close to this funnel, you'll be in a good place to hunt.

Moreover, he pays quite a bit of attention to how he sets up the stand itself.

Abernathy is different from most bowhunters in that he uses a two-piece Buckshot climbing stand that faces the tree rather than away from it. By facing the tree, he uses the tree for concealment. He shoots right-handed, and uses a screw-in step on the left of the tree to hang his bow on.

"When I see a deer, all I have to do is stand and remove my bow from the screw-in step," he said.

He also puts in another screw-in step at eye level in front of himself. On that step, he hangs binoculars, calls and whatever else he might need to reach for without noise or much movement. This step also doubles as a handhold that he can use to pull himself slowly upright to a shooting position without much effort.

"A height of around 20 feet is ideal to climb," he said. "I find it better if this tree is on level ground as opposed to one on a hillside. A tree on level ground gives the best opportunity for a double lung broadside shot, which is my preference of shot placement."

There are numerous stages of the deer season here in South Carolina, and Abernathy believes you need to change gears for each stage.

Unlike many hunters, Abernathy normally waits until mid-August to start scouting. The main reason for that is that he hunts the same area year after year, so he has a base of knowledge to build on. He already knows the lay of the land, where food sources are and where deer are most apt to travel. All he has to do is find out which oaks have an acorn crop this year.

Like many hunters, he looks for white oaks first, as deer prefer them because of their sweet taste.

Once he determines the location of an early-season stand, he cuts shooting lanes but is very selective about how much he cuts, believing that bucks will know that their habitat has changed if he cuts too much, just as you'd know something was wrong if someone moved your living room furniture.

When the bow season first comes in, deer are still running in groups. Just a few weeks later, these groups begin to split up and a hunter needs to change his tactics. At that point, Abernathy believes, rubs and scrape lines are a good place to concentrate your efforts.

Late October through November encompasses the rut. It is during this stage that you have your best chance at a trophy buck. Nocturnal bucks begin to show themselves during the day as they seek does in estrus. If you see a doe running through the woods during this time, be on full alert because odds are high that a buck is chasing her.