Great to hear you found a good spot! Finding that Dead deer (Doe?) is probably a good sign that you found a good spot where the deer run to hide. If you want to PM me the coordinates of the general spot I'll let you know my opinion. Don't worry, I private land hunt in Central Illinois so Im not trying to steal your spot. I also have been looking at the map and found a spot that you might want to check out (even though you might think I'm a little crazy for suggesting it :) ) Let me know and I'll be happy to help. Also, looks like they killed 76 deer there with firearms in 2010 so you know there are deer there!

Keep scouting as much as you can. Everywhere you go down there you will find deer and sign so keep looking until you find that spot that stands out from all the rest. The more time you spend in the woods the better you will start to understand where the deer are traveling and why. Spring and summer patterns are different from fall. Bucks that you watch all summer can move a mile or two away for fall pattern so don't base everything on deer you see in the spring /summer. The doe tend to have a home range and don't move like bucks . If there are corn/beans in the area that your hunting and can watch those fields from a distance, then in late summer go watch those fields at dawn and dusk with a spotting scope and see where the deer are entering and leaving the fields. This will help finding a stand site close to the trails they have been using.

If you are scouting in Starved Rock over the summer, be aware of the rules. I was down that way last week-end and was talking to a local who said she got a ticket for being off the trails. As I recall, I've seen signs saying stay on trails (I think they've had people fall into some of the ravines in the past). Not sure if it applies to the whole park and/or Matthiesen, or maybe just closer to the lodge.