Jaymac , welcome to deer hunting , you're gonna have a lot more questions soon .

I do preseason scouting for new places with TerraServer , this allows me to cover ground and get the lay of the land without actually going there , it also allows me to find the tracts of public land so that I don't accidentally trespass . Once I find a spot that looks promising I drive to it and do some ground scouting , small publics can be almost unhunted sometimes and they can be real honeyholes . Scouting from an aerial pic or topo also shows you where the most likely funnels are , where the competing hunters will most likely enter , and the probable escape routes of the deer once they do . A pop-up blind is an excellent way to do drop in hunts , I have a couple of them . Place them within some brush or brush them in as needed to obscure their outline . The deer may still see them , but once they fgure out that the new object doesn't move they usually ignore it . Public land is first come , first served , but if you see orange be courteous and move off as quietly as you can to avoid busting the other guy's set up . I usually watch the trail for bootprints to avoid that situation . Getting permission to hunt private land can be as simple as approaching the landowner , introducing yourself , and simply asking if they will discuss it . Other times it may take some salesmanship and possibly a little "palm grease" . Look presentable , be polite , and don't pressure them . If they say no just smile and thank them for their time and move on . Several of the guys who frequent the Indiana site at the addy in my sig line are from your area , they may be able to help you a little with local access and the best locations at the local publics .