Two beards, you make VERY valid points, although Hankfan is faced with a tough situation that doesn' t really exist in your area...I would presume? The area I hunt, pretty much exclusively, is big and deep and very rarely is there any mast around. It' s not a seasonal thing, it' s the topography that just doesn' t have much for oaks. It sucks, but I love the area and there are some bruisers around, but the deer are like nomads....the travel long and far distances, and rarely follow a predictable pattern. What I have seen mostly, is that they love the young maple sapling leaves. If you can find a fresh clear cut, you have hit paydirt. Cuts that are anywhere from one to three years old can hold several passing deer. This is the most predictable area to hold deer in big country....finding their entrance and exit paths are another story. Just watch and watch and maybe you can pettern them.

One point that 2 beards mentions though is right on....edges!! Cedar swamps are my favorites!! Find a hardwoods that snakes along the edge of a thick cedar swamp and you may have it taken care of.

No hard and concrete solutions for this type of hunting...but I wouldn' t trade it for anything. Not a high deer population where I hunt, but the possiblity for a true hog is very real.