RE: Hunting Lake Placid Area?
The big woods are alot ddifferent than the farmlands than you are used to hunting but you can use alot of the same ways you hunt the farm deer.First get a topo map or a arial photo of the area and look it over for choke points and funnels and get ready to go out and do some footwork.In the big woods choke points can be as simple as a bunch of pines planted in the area as regrowth,the deer might sometimes bed in the pines also so try to aproach with the wind in your face.Another good place to scout would be the edge of a swamp because a deers tracks really stand out in the soft soil around the swamp,another spot to look for is an opening in the forest like a little feild.You should be carefull with this one because every guy out there with a topo/arial of the area will key in on this but you still should check it out.Also lookthe the ridges and gullies around the area but the wind can play dirty little tricks on you with the thermals that come off of them.Next you want to get a good compass and a gps if you can afford it,the gps really shines in a big woods setting because you can find your exact way back in,also take a reading from the road that you park on so with your compass so if some thing happens to the gps you can get out.Once you get out to your funnel the you are going to want to try to find some sort of a food source(apple trees,beech nuts,acorns)and then see if you can find a trail from them to a bedding area,a trail in the big woods usually arent as pronounced as a trail on farmland so you wont notice them as much but they are there.Once you have found that then set up a treestand or a ground blind and hunt it.You should try to find three or four of these spots especially in state land because you might get unexpected company and have to go someplace else so yoyur day isnt screwed up.One more thing to look for is an old rock fence deer usualy wont jump over something if they can walk another hundred yards or so to cross at a break in the fence,if they do jump the fence it is easy to see were they are doing this with the disturbancein the soil
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