In addition, Cox said that after the first few days, hunters will often again have to change their game plan to continue to see deer during late August.

"Once the bucks get pressured, they are going to be much less likely to step out in the open during the daylight hours," Cox said. "So, to get a shot at a big buck, you may have to get back in the thickets and swamps with them.

"That can also mean very tight quarters," Cox said. "So this is actually a very good setup for bowhunting as well. In some of the places the bucks will be using at this time of the year, you may not have much more than 20 to 40 yards of sight. A lot of the areas I hunt have corridors where I can find a narrow funnel that deer may travel before dark. This is an ideal time to use climbing stands.

"Because of being so close to the deer, you'll need to use scent hiding clothes if you can," Cox said. "You'll need to place your stand so it's hidden but affords you some open lanes to shoot. I would not trim much of the cover out in a situation like this, even if you are doing it prior to the season opening. Consider the prevailing wind to give you the advantage. Mosquitoes will be a problem in the heat and humidity, especially if you're in the swamps. Use Bug Tamer clothing or ThermaCells. I also suggest discretion about hunting any area too frequently. A little bit of human intrusion can go a long way . . . the wrong way."

When possible, after he hunts a stand, he will try to let it rest a couple of days before going back to it. He also always has a backup stand -- again, a stand that he can hunt that affords him a wind advantage if his first choice does not. Wind direction is always crucial to Cox, but particularly when hunting deer in what is essentially their living room, he believes it's best to simply not hunt rather than go to an area when the wind is wrong.

Another factor is to know where the deer bed and feed. Cox will set up his stands to cover main early-season travel routes. Then, he'll have places to take the deer as they cross roads, or slip though a funnel area where he can see the entire area. He will also employ corn as bait to stop the deer right where he wants them.

Without saying there's a science to using corn for deer, Cox said there are definitely right and wrong ways to use it.

"Frankly, if a person doesn't use bait properly, it can actually hurt his potential to see deer," Cox said. "One of the biggest mistakes is that some hunters put bait far too close to their stands. This makes seeing any deer more difficult, but will significantly reduce the odds of seeing a big buck.

"Deer are not stupid regarding what's normal for the woods," Cox said. "They know a deer stand is out of the norm for their woods. They will get used to the stand over time, but if a hunter places corn almost right under it, then almost anything can mess the hunt up. Scent, movement and even very small noises will all contribute to a hunter not seeing deer.

"This is true anytime of the season, but particularly now," Cox said. "Later on, when the rut begins, bucks may lose some of their normal caution. But as a general rule, keep the corn well away from the stand. Based on how far you can see for a shot, I'd say 80 to 120 yards is a decent range. The farther the distance, as long as you can make the shot, the better in terms of seeing more deer. Thus, scent, small movements and low noise will not necessarily ruin the hunt."

Cox also said that random placing of bait sometimes is a wasted effort as well.

"If you're going to use bait, have a purpose," Cox said. "Sometimes, it may be a destination for the deer if a lot of corn is used and it is kept up with fresh bait.

"My primary philosophy is to target areas where the deer are already moving and enhance that as a target area," he said. "Scouting in the pre-season will help you locate their well-used trails and other sign to clue you where they already are walking. Bait added to a place like this gives it a definite purpose. It will give the deer a reason to come back through the area. It can also be the method used to stop a buck long enough to get a good shot. This is exactly the case on a lot of my stands. There are small roads, trails or clearings where the bait may get the deer to stop for a few seconds. If I'm paying attention, that's all time I need."

Cox said that to be effective, bait such as corn needs to be considered a legal tool to help get the shot on a nice buck. Instead of trying to make deer change their normal routine and come to your corn, Cox said it's best to plan your hunt around places that the deer are naturally using. Then you can use bait to give you an additional edge.

"The early part of the season is bucks only," Cox said. "That's a good thing, but it also means you're only hunting half the deer population. You need to develop your strategy for early-season hunting for bucks. Sometimes that may mean you need to hunt areas where you may not see a lot of deer. Right at this time, fresh buck rubs are a great indicator of where bucks are using. Use that information, along with well-worn trails and big tracks to clue you to where the bucks are."

Preparation for deer season is an on-going event. "It's never too late to start and it's never too early to begin," Cox said.

If you don't have your 2007 deer-hunting game plan finalized, get on it now. There's still time . . . but not much.

Find more about South Carolina fishing and hunting at: SCgameandfish.com