philbert8

Will be hunting the big woods in southern IL (shotgun) next weekend. Any tips or tricks for hunting big woods deer with moderate pressure?
Still hunt?
Stand hunt?
I' ve hunted the same area for 13 years with only moderate success (no mature bucks) and hoped I was overlooking some valuable piece of info.
I could show the terraserver photo or topo. if anyone would like to help.
Thanks in advance

BigXHunter

scouting that the key to hunting any type of terrain. find your trails and set up on them . hunting out of a stand is what i prefer to do but i have still hunted.

philbert8

It' s a big open woods with no really distinct trails until you get to the really thick areas. There, you have lotsa trails but you can' t see any distance at all.
I have tried setting up at the entrance to the really thick stuff in years past with no luck.

tbonecpa

I assume that you are gun hunting. If that is the case, you should look for escape routes. Figure out where the pressure is coming from and cut the deer off. If the pressure is very strong at all those deer are not going to be on their normal patterns. If you are hunting rub or scrape lines you are wasting your time. I have gone to my stand prior to the season and there is very little deer sign. I don' t think they use the area much until they are forced to. My honey hole is right in the center of three areas of pressure. The deer move out when the hunters come in and head back towards me. It takes some effort to hike back to my stand but I see undisturbed mature deer every year and no hunters. It takes a lot more effort to get them out but who cares about that. If you can find an area where the deer feel safe during gun season you will make your taxidermist a very wealthy man. FYI, my " spot" is on public land.

badshotbob

I' d study that topo map. Set up a stand downwind of break lines where woods meets brush or grassy areas, etc.. Deer seem to love these lines where two or more types of habitat meet. Especially during the rut - often bucks will have their staging and tending areas just inside the thick cover in these borders.

philbert8

10-4, I' ll be studying those topo' s

philbert8

http://terraserver-usa.com/image.asp...10422&z=16&w=1
Here' s a link to my huntin area. We park near the house by the field (grass). I usually hunt near the bend in the creek. The area near the two small clearings in the woods is private (no access). The big clearing to the east of the houses is really thick multiflora and stuff, and theres a public hunting parking area there so I have avoided it due to pressure although theres usually only two or three trucks there in the mornings. Any ideas would be graetly appreciated as I have stared at this for so long, I' m crosseyed.[X(]

philbert8

Sorry, I forgot to mention I' ll be gun hunting. (slug gun)