RE: Hunting "Big Woods"--Pointers??
Big woods hunting is tough.. If you find a mast crop like acorns you'll be covered w/ deer, if you know where the trees are go out and fertilize them this spring. Just a few to hunt around, you'll notice a big difference... Its good to get a mineral block out too.
Big woods deer are very patternable, its just tough to figure out the pattern... They will have a distinct bedding area and usually travel to the most recent food source...
Also a good topo map is helpful... Find saddles and low areas that deer travel through.. they are lazy too and dont like walking up and down steep inclines if they dont have to.