I cut my teeth on public land bow at desplains and Medawin, ya I spelled it wrong!. And gun hunting in southern Illinois in the national forest and northern Wisconson in the national forest. If your not wanting to get into a lease ???? I would apply for Jackson county in southern Illinois for the next gun season. You can stay in a motel and hunt the national forest south of Carbondale and Murf. Oakwood bottoms and and turkey buyou is where we hunted for years. I killed dear there almost every year. If you do this I can give you more info on how to setup to hunt ? The biggest part of hunting is just going out a do it and you will be amazed at what you will learn in the woods for a few days..