I just started hunting The Pine Barrens in New Jersey after 40 plus years of hunting hardwood forests. This land has nothing but Pitch Pines and flat land for miles with some swamps. What the heck do deer eat in the Pines and since there are no ridges, valleys or change of vegatation, where do they bed down? Being a bowhunter, I'm used to locating food sources and bedding areas and setting up in between. But I can't figure out these pines. Any help?

One of my early season honey holes is a pitch pine mast yardforest. Here they bed in the middle of it, it stays cooler in there and the needles make for a comfortable bed. I catch them coming out to eat inthe late afternoon. I don't think there is a lot for them to eat in there.

I too found these "honey holes" when I was hunting hardwood forests but where I hunt now it's nothing but pines. There are no places for them to come out to (no acron trees, no fields, no agriculture plots, no grass, etc.). It seems to me so far that they can eat (Pine Needles) any where they are and can bed down any where they are.

They bed down in the swamps in the briars. Pine barren deer are tiny compared to surrounding areas. 60 lbs is a big one...

Pine nuts from the pine cones maybe?? I wouldn't think there would be enough protein in the needles. I also don't think a diet of only pine nuts could sustain them...there has to be something in there they are dining on.

I would try to locate water because wherethere is water there is deer.

Hunting pine forests can be pretty tough, as it's nearly impossible to pattern the deer because they travel so much to find food. Pines are generally excellent for still hunting or stalking. I get down on my knees to glass through the underbrush.

I hunt in the pines (zone 19), and I bait. Because there are not alot of food sources there, If you just put down some corn, they will come running.

At certain times of year there is an abundance of mushrooms in pine heads. The deer of course love them. If it's all pines there isn't much else in there. If there are any little opening usually you'll get some browse growing up. Approach it just like any other woods. Find the trails and work from there. Deer do tend to favor certain little routes and will leave sign. You just have to look. Hunt them where they butt up to any change in vegetation, like to brush or hardwoods.