Im a big believer in putting the odds as much in your favor as possible. It has been my experience, that you will have a much better chance of seeing game from an elevated vantage point, especially in thick or flat woods. For one, you have much less chance of deer catching your scent, and your movement is greatly concealed. IME, it is almost impossible to draw a bow, or get into postion to shoot a gun on the ground, if the deer is already within 40 yds, which they always seem to magically appear at, before you see them, therefore a treestand is a very useful. I never hunt without mine, and I still get skunked alot. I recommend a quality climber for its mobility, and practice useing it well before opening day. Other options would be to set up on a rock ledge, or small ridge overlooking a thicket or trail. try to keep the sun to your back aswell to hide your movements.

Pay attention to isnipe. He knows how to hunt and always gives sage advice.

Get a rifle. A lever action 30-30 is great in the woods. I'm in extreme NE Kansas and can literally see Missouri out my window, so I know what your terrain and vegetation is like. 30-30 would do fine. I use a scoped, bolt action 30-06. Not quite as good in the woods but better if you happen to get a shot over one of those meadows or cropfields that are common in the midwest. It's a little trade-off either way. I joke that these are the sorts of things you think about while you gut your deer.

Blinds, stands, and all that: They're probably useful, but I don't use them. I'm content to build a brushpile before season in a good spot and put an old chair there, or simply get in/behind a downed tree if I didn't get around to it (I have a collapsible chair I sometimes sling over my back that's very useful for this). I have nailed a few 2x4s in my permanent set-ups to provide a shooting rest. There's an old saying in deer hunting: "Find a stump. Sit on it all day."

Clothes/camo: You're big concern needs to be wearing the required blaze orange--and on public land this is especially critical. I wear camo as much as possible because I think it helps, but it isn't THAT important. You could certainly take deer wearing your duck camo sitting in a brush pile or downed tree. The main thing is to break up your shape.


Here's what I say I need to deer hunt:
My license and tags
A rifle properly sighted in
A box of shells
A good, sharp knife
A rope to drag the deer out
A flashlight or a headlamp (my preference)
Blaze orange to satisfy the law and safety considerations.
A pen and string to fill out the tag and affix it to the deer.
A couple of freezer bags to save the heart and liver
Warm clothes
Boots

All else is optional.

What I also sometimes take:
That collapsible chair (mine's camo in coloration)
Camo clothing (the closest thing I have to an indispensible item is a face mask. I've spooked deer by turning my head and putting my face right in their line of sight. That motion probably spooks them more than anything, but a human face is round, reflective, and not natural even when still. Hence, the mask)
A monopod

Get a good book on whitetail hunting, or read article on the internet, attend seminars, watch videos.

If you actually want to see deer, try reading my WHITETAIL SEMINAR - on keeping track of summer bucks (in this forum). Scouting is the key to seeing amd getting close to deer. If you have questions, feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]