Essential tools:

1) Good boots
2) Change of clothing so you'll be in fresh clothes from the long hike in
3) GPS
4) Access to a place it takes a boat to cross is ideal
5) * game/deer cart *
6) Light hang-on and Cranford screw-in steps or light climber
7) Meal replacement bars and water bottles (hey, if you go to all that trouble to get that far back, you might as well stay put all day)
8) NEVER EVER talk about your spot you've got -- even to "close" friends. The only person I've taken in to my spot lives in Pennsylvania Now I'll share a casual hunt with friends for the sake of comaraderie, but it won't be in my good spots.
9) Extensively use sights like Windows Local Live and Google Earth, as well as topo maps from the Forestry Service to pinpoint funnels and likely spots to hang up in

Good luck!