Know the area

• Scouting is important when hunting deer in the fall and looking for a successful evening hunt. Knowing if there are bucks in the area is important. This can be discovered by walking along deer runs in the woods or along the edges of fields and open areas. Look for scrapings in the ground and rubs in the trees where the animals have been.
  
  A trail camera will allow you to take photos of the animals as they travel through the area. These devices are either infrared or motion-detecting and usually have a flash for night photos. A time stamp, which is included on the photos, will allow you to see which deer are coming in at certain times. Whitetail deer are creatures of habit and you'll often find the same deer crossing the trail camera around the same time a few nights each week. Note the deer that travel in the evening, especially the bucks. Scout several areas with trail cameras for the best overall knowledge of what locations host the best evening bucks.
  
  

Fall is pre-rut season

• Fall is just prior to the typical rutting season, which is when a buck becomes preoccupied with mating and often passes on the opportunity to eat. Prior to the rut, states the book "Whitetail Addicts Manual," by T.R. Michels, 2007, bucks are busy patrolling their "dominance area" of scrapes, rubs and feeding spots. Because they are still feeding at this time, baiting with corn, apples, potatoes and other vegetables can be effective for an evening hunt. If you'd rather not hunt over a bait pile, try using fake scrapes with doe estrus or buck urine. The combination of the scents will often draw a buck to the area in the evening hours, looking for a challenger or for a potential mate. Evening is a great time to hunt over such scented sites because it is when most bucks travel away from their bedding area and patrol their territory.
  
  

Other tips and tactics

• Before the rut has started, whitetail bucks are already looking to establish dominance in their respective territories. Rattling antlers against each other or against tree limbs in the evening hours will often draw the attention of a larger buck, believing he's heard two other bucks clashing. In addition, using buck grunts and other calls, according to Outdoor Central's website, can be very effective in the fall evenings, as well as other times of the year. In addition, the "Whitetail Addicts Manual," suggests using deer decoys during the fall to draw bucks into the open, spraying it with deer scent to authenticate it.