I can only comment on the cedar swamps of eastern Maine.....These places are absolutely the thickest piece of woods I have ever hunted. As others have said, unless you have actually spent time hunting these areas, it' s just....hard to explain. These are the thickest, darkest and wettest woods you' ll find here in New England. Why would deer like places this " rough" ?....because it offers everything a deer needs....food, shelter from the weather and security from predators, as in hunters. These deer aren' t stupid...they' ll head there when the hunting pressure heats up because they know hunters will usually avoid places like this. It seems almost impossible to be able to get into these swamps without the deer either hearing, seeing or smelling you. The deer move around in these swamps with incredible ease. The trick (to me) is to get in there (deep) very early, pre-dawn and select a site after careful scouting. Also staying there all day has always been my way to hunt these swamps. Some folks hunt the edges, hoping to tag deer on their way into or out of the swamps, other hunt just inside the swamp, while others hunt the tote roads. If you understand what these places offer the deer and why.... and do your scouting in earnest....the next deer you see in the thickest, nastiest place... just might take your breath away!!