magicman54494 wrote:Here are the reasons I think big woods are the toughest to hunt.
1. There are sooooo many bedding options that even finding one is tough.
2. The woods is often so dense that it is impossible to sight pattern deer.
3. Lack of high quality food keeps them somewhat nomadic which means they could be here today and gone tomorrow.
4. Deer tend to relocate at different times of the year. This was proven in northern Wis. by the use of radio collars in the 1970's. This means if your hunting sign your buck may be long gone.
5. low quality food means rack development (to trophy potential) is delayed a year or 2 as compared to deer in high quality feed areas. This means that in an already tough situation you have to hope your buck lives long enough to grow a big rack and by then he is old a will be going down hill in a few years. So your window of opertunity on a given buck is much smaller.
6. In the north- winters are very tough on the deer.
7. low doe populations means the bucks travel longer distances. This may appear as a plus but what can happen is many bucks can get hung up on one hot doe so unless you pick the winning lottery ticket it can mean a lot of lonely days on stand.
8. big wood usually = public land. A lot of good scouting can be ruined by a bear, deer, partridge, small game hunters.
I agree for the most part. I don't have the severe winters to deal with here but my experience with big woods shows deer travel much longer distances in their day to day travels. In farm country hunting, travel patterns are much shorter and more defined by available cover, even with the mature bucks. Being used to hunting farm country and trying to crossover to big timber, although the basics are the same, big timber calls for a different way of thinking and makes for a tough hunt.
I have a friend in northeast TN that hunts big hill country, all timber. He says when you find them get on them, coz in a day or two, they'll be gone. They'll be back but it may be several days later, or a week, etc.
I would be more impressed by the hunter that can consistantly bowkill an ear width 8 pointer in big woods than the guy that kills a 140 class buck in farm country.