DougE

I live in northern Pa where we have miles and miles on contiguous mountains and forests with no agriculture.The overall over winter deer density in this area is probably less than 10 dpsm.It's actually not hard to hunt if you understand what deer need at different times of the year.The first thing you have to do is eliminate huge areas of overbrowsed forests and concentrate on food sources and cover.In years of good mast production,that's tough because the deer can be more spread out.Otherwise,you have to understand what better habitat looks like by the species that are regenerating.You have to hunt where deer should be,not where you want them to be.

Prairie Wolf

I've hunted in the big woods when numbers were low. Some years you only get a couple deer with six guys hunting in a week. A few guys were more likely to get a deer every year.

They've since changed the managment of the area and deer numbers have exploded. Now it so easy to tag out we've gotten picky over the deer.

So yeah, the better hunters will do better. But sometimes everyone gets tag soup.

salukipv1

haha less than 10 deer/sq.mi? I believe every county in IL is less than 10/sq.mi.

deer per sq.mi. has nothing to do with success IMO.

trophy hunting is the toughest hunting you can do IMO, simply harvesting a legal animal anywhere isn't very tough IMO.

Sniper151

I have one area in Northern PA that is just about as you describe, other than an apple orchard on an adjcent farm. I will take at least 3 or 4 days to scout the area and talk to a few locals to get their opinion. I try to set stands for different weather conditions and wind and with the help of a laptop, check the weather and wind before making a decision on the morning of the first days hunting. If I do my homework and be patient, the chances are pretty good on scoring during the week.

nchawkeye

I don't agree...Having a few hunters come in and not be successful just means they weren't that good to begin with...

Now, I've hunted over 45 years and have hunted in 6 different states...I have a background in agriculture and can walk through the woods and identify different food sources and tell you which ones deer prefer...Growing up in the country and starting hunting before I started to school gives me a different insight than the casual hunter...

Bass fishing and deer hunting have much in common...Both need and stay near cover, both are edge animals, both are more agressive during the spawn/rut, both are found close to their feeding areas, both follow edges, both move and feed more during a falling barometer and when the moon is either overhead or underfoot...

Even big woods have edges, you mentioned swamps...Find that edge where the swamp meets the hardwood edge and you've got a good place to start...Throw in another edge of ceders or a creek or a ridge and you have an even better area...How about rivers??? They are always good for crossings and trails running parallel to them...

It's just a matter of finding a good area and picking up on fresh sign and being patient...

kldad06

I have to agree with nchawkeye. Just because someone tags a deer every year doesn't mean that they are good hunters. Also fish and deer are extremely similar. The only thing that controls their movements are food and mating.

halcon

I've had the good fortune to hunt just about every type of terrain you can name at one time or another .The main thing I found is You have to change your methods of hunting to fit the deer and the type of country your hunting . If you can do that its not all that difficult ,if not then you could have a problem .

Daveboone

For years I have hunted the open Finger Lakes country of NY, holding a very high deer population. Set up your stand, and let em come by. Several years ago I bought a camp on the Tug Hill in northern NY, big woods. I concentrated on E-W ridges and old apple orchards, and funnel areas off the ridges. Once snow started dusting, I spent alot of time scouting for track, and following in both directions. There are not as many deer by far as down south, but I enjoy my hunting much more, spend more time in the woods with fewer people around, and still fill my tags.

smokepolehall

I hunt woods no agri. fer 10 miles in any direction. Deer 10 or less per sq. mile, well all i have saw this past hunting season was 13 total from Sept. 15th to Jan.15th. I took 4, 3 with my CB & one with my rifle. Swamps, open woods, nasty slash alders you have. I would find the thickest nastyest area in and around the swamps. They will come to edges to browse as they wipe out food close by where they bed up. Once you find a trail follow it til it intersects with another in the nasty area. I would fine half dz areas like that & use a climber or ground blind you build out of natural folage & such. Using stumps downed logs even a pit on hammocks above water lvl. I haven't ever hunted where i saw more than 40 deer total in 20 yrs. I use to live in Ms & saw tick toters of over 500-600 at a time in early mornings & evenings.

Bloodsaw

NOT the same...a big bass and a big buck are very different , lets not compare a lemon to a lime

Hunting big woods with low density is TUFF, alot of sitting and not alot of deer, been there done that, ALOT of times, you have to be lucky. being good usually dont increase your odds much, but it helps