Not to pile on, but using feeders to attract deer to food plots falls somewhat outside of the hard way, at least the way I hunt. But to each his own.

Some folks are being a little pessimistic about most landowners in the good Midwest states being associated with outfitters. That may be the case in the golden triangle in Illinois, but in the part of the state where i am from and own land, outfitters are not nearly as common. I know lots of people who hunt on private land for free, with permission from the owner obviously. But that is gonna change over the next decade. In the meantime, if you are willing to knock on doors and put in some effort, you can still find private land.