Big Woods Bowhunting

[regenscheid]

I will be hunting in a new area that consists of lots of acreage and big woods to cover. Any tips on where to start with this unfamilliar area?

[Outdoors Junkie]

Big woods are good!

Have you been to this area before?  Is it public or private land?  Are there other hunters that will in this area or is it exclusive for you?  Is it all woods, or does it butt up to crop fields or a meadow/swampy area?

I would try to find bedding area's and where the deer feed and look for main trails that pass between those area's. 

Welcome to MNO  regenscheid!    Give us a little more info and we can give more tips. 

[tripnchip]

Would help to know the things junkie mentioned and what you are calling big woods, miles of woods or a couple hundred acers. Are you talking farm country or the nort woods country? Deer require 4 things feed, water, bedding area and cover, of coarse they will be bedding in the cover.  but without more info. junkie prettey much told you everything. Are you bow or rifle hunting?

[regenscheid]

I will be bowhunting on about 100 acres of public land that is very lightly hunted in the north woods.. it has some open country but mostly wooded

[Grute Man]

Find out if there is any bodies of water.  All living creatures need water; they will go there eventually.  Also try the fringes.  They may skirt the fring where its easier to walk and if danger arises, they could jump back into the woods to hide.

Good Luck and WELCOME TO MNO.   party3.gif

[Mayfly]

Start by walking the land. Get to know it. Go to google earth and get an aerial view. Find the main arteries, deer trails and start there. That is easy enough.

[tripnchip]

Ok, I hunt about 30 miles north of hwy 2 along hwy. 65. In this part of the country we have a combo of fields(mostly hay), slashes and swamp mixed in the woods. For all of them I walk  20 to 50 yards off the edge of the openings looking for trails going into the openings. For a evening hunt I will set up along one of these trails within that 50 yards, for a mornign and mid day hunt i will get back in the woods futher. If there are narrow strips of woods between the openings you are talking about check them very close. In slashes that are a couple years old or more look for what is called the landing area, often these get a lot of clover in them  and can be a hot spot for atracking deer. The clover realy comes into effect after a couple god frosts and the leaves are down in the woods.
 I am not a pro be any chance but this heled you some