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Man you are in a pickle. Late season deer are almost impossible to sneak up on. Even if they haven't been hunted that hard, they have a lot more going for them. Loss of foliage means they can see us better. They can hear a lot better when the foliage is down in the winter. Even if smell is not the issue, deer are extremely sensitive to sound. I swear, I've seen deer on a blustery windy, noisy day take off at the sound of my bow nicking the edge of my metal tree stand which barely makes a sound.
My advice- do the best you can with the wind, scent. You are going to have to clear a trail into your stand and maybe belly crawl to it. That way they won't hear or see you - maybe. A tunnel would be best. Or a zip line from top of your house into tree stand. ( sorry, but this is the kind of stuff I sit in my stand and think about).
If you are able to make it to your stand undetected, I don't know what kind of stand you're in, but the higher the better. Say about 30 feet if you can do that safely. Even that high, any cover you can have around your self in stand will make a huge difference. Seems like deer walk around the woods looking up into trees more once the leaves drop. You definitely need to practice shooting from stand height. Not only is point of impact different, you need to practice the body angles you'll have to use.
Don't get discouraged either. You are learning many hunting tips the hard way which seems to be the only way I learn the,m. Also, next year, early fall should be much more successful for you.
Good luck!
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