Bigwoods bowhunting tips?

[NJbowhunter]

Hey guys im new here. I am an avid out of state bowhunter I live in NJ. My uncle owns 50 acres in the Northern Part of Delaware County. I am possibly entertaining the idea of trying the land out this season. I am only familiar with hunting in NJ and not the big woods of New York State. I know baiting is not legal in NYS. For the guys that use trail cameras where do you hang them? Is there any tell tale sign to look for besides funnels pinch points etc.. I am asking because where I hunt there is many deer and when you find a hot spot its easy to tell its a hot spot. The times I have scouted NYS it seems there is a lot less sign. Any tips for a big woods newbie with trail cameras or bowhunting in general. I am not new to hunting and would consider myself an avid bowhunter but I give you guys a lot of credit as it seems it is a lot harder to find producing spots up North. Thanks !!

[sssurfertim]

I hunt deleware county area 4w, big woods and even bigger hills. You cannot compair it to the amount of deer that are in NJ, there is alot of woods for them to hide.I have always liked old logging roads and saddles that are steep above and below. Don't expect big racked deer but they do have big bodies. buck to doe ratio is not bad in my area, and in recent years we have seen a lot more bears which are just awsome to see in the woods. Hunting in the Catskills is always an adventure, and the scenery is second to none. ARs were put into place last season, and all the spikes and fork horns we passed on last season should be basket racks this year. If there are any apple trees on the property hunt them early in the season, we have a lot of apples in my area.

[Doc]

When somebody speaks of "Big Woods" hunting, I am assuming they are talking about mature forests with no agricultural influences at all. A lot of NYS is starting to move into that habitat phase. What you find is that deer are a lot more widely dispersed and sign can only be found with a lot of walking and close inspection. Trails through the woods are  a lot tougher to find because movements are so random and scattered. It's not like the deer always predictably bedding in dense thickets and always heading for the nearest corn field or hay lot with heavy muddy trails in between.

 

The easiest sign to spot is still the fall rut sign. Those rubs and scrapes stick out well in the deep woods and while heavy defined trails may be tough to find in the woods, the rut signs are not. And there are faint deer trails through the woods in certain spots, but you have to look a little harder to see them. The other thing to look for is food sources. Oaks can be a great magnet at the right time of the year. I have seen deer munching on fresh fallen maple leaves (heavy sugar content). Water sources are good spots to look for sign, and any steep areas where deer have established easy ways up or down will occasionally hold a trail. Log roads can sometimes turn into deer highways and are always worth a check.

 

The big woods will test your hunting ability and it is likely that just spending a lot of time out there will teach you the most about what the deer are doing and why.

[wooly]

Even 'big woods' have noticeable terrain features. Often times ridges are the most commonly traveled and most obvious funnels even if they don't narrow down into the typical pinch points we seek out.

Soft edges are another feature that is easily overlooked to an untrained eye, but they are there. Any place two different types of timber or vegetation come together can be a good place to start. If they gradually over lap, all the better IMO. A narrow edge doesn't always offer up many options when it comes to playing the wind.

Elevation is something else you'll want to pay attention to. Look up some maps, and take note of when deer use the different zones at different times of the year. Wind direction and thermals throughout the season, and even throughout the course of the day will affect how and where deer travel certain areas, especially durring the rut when they are scent checking the local does.

Also take into account the local hunting pressure, stand locations, and where hunters are entering from.

[NYbuck50]

Look for seems in the woods, changes in cover, where a ridge meets a swamp, high spots within a swamp. Big woods deer seem to have alot bigger core areas, as they are moving around alot to find good food sources.

[Doc]

Ha-ha .... ask this question about farmland deer, and you would have at least 4 pages of comments. Big woods ..... not so much. Three actual "on-topic" replies in as many days ... lol.

 

In true mature woods hunting, things get real difficult. And if you are relying on hunting magazines or TV programs .... forget it. It's a tough place to hunt and an even tougher place to explain how to hunt. You want a challenge? Take your bow out to the deep woods and get a shot inside of 20 or 30 yards. You have your work cut out for you. But it can be done and what a great feeling of accomplishment when you do it.

[meatmuzzy]

one thing I found works well in big woods if you own the land is to hinge cut trees around your stand.  This is a natural browse for deer and the closest thing to baiting you can get in NY big woods.

[skully]

Yea feed them,  everyone else seems too..................

[josephmrtn]

Even 'big woods' have noticeable terrain features. Often times ridges are the most commonly traveled and most obvious funnels even if they don't narrow down into the typical pinch points we seek out.

Soft edges are another feature that is easily overlooked to an untrained eye, but they are there. Any place two different types of timber or vegetation come together can be a good place to start. If they gradually over lap, all the better IMO. A narrow edge doesn't always offer up many options when it comes to playing the wind.

Elevation is something else you'll want to pay attention to. Look up some maps, and take note of when deer use the different zones at different times of the year. Wind direction and thermals throughout the season, and even throughout the course of the day will affect how and where deer travel certain areas, especially durring the rut when they are scent checking the local does.

Also take into account the local hunting pressure, stand locations, and where hunters are entering from.

trust wooly to know more about it than anyone.... come to think of it he always seems to find more sheds than most ppl too... hmmm he must spend some time in the woods!!! LOL LOL

[NFA-ADK]

I don't think 50 acres is too much land to walk and scope out in one day.  Especially if you check out terrain and satellite maps.  You should be able to pick out many(or at least a few) spots, when you walk the property you can set up your scouting cameras and then determine the best spot to set up after previewing the pictures.  If you are in deep woods I would key in on any viable food source along the paths you discover well used.  

 

Otherwise I think Doc summed it up!!!

[dbHunterNY]

with your uncle owning only 50 acres, hunting and scouting that in a low impact way is essential.  just like hunting small patches of cover down in NJ, access to it is most important.  if you can't get in there without deer smelling or hearing you then forget it.  try to use a creek bottom or side ridge that's not used for bedding if you've got either of those.  all they make plantable stuff to use as cover into your hunting area like Fridged Forage Plot Screen.  When hunting bigger chunks of woods hunt converging ridges or saddles where it's easier for deer to cross a big ridge.  hunt "edges", spots where different types of habitat or stands of trees come together.  for example bewteen a stand of pine woods that turns into primarily hardwoods.  Another example, an old field overgrown with brush meeting the edge of woods.  also sometimes deer will travel through big woods in a certain direction because they're heading to nearby ag fields to feed later in the night.  know the area around the area you hunt too... drive public roads and/or use google or bing maps aerial/birdseye views. 

 

that some tips i've got. hope that helps.

[Doc]

Another feature that I have found that is a natural deer magnet is what I call "seeps". They're not exactly flowing springs, but they are super sloppy-wet muddy spots of water seeping out of the ground. I have never found one that wasn't completely mucked up with deer tracks. I believe these may be mineral springs that provide minerals that deer really crave. I know of only 3 of them in the area that I hunt, but they are traditional hot-spots and often get visited well within daylight shooting hours.

[Danny]

Ridge tops, Saddles, Logging roads, where pines meet oaks, areas of hillside briars, breaks in stone walls, & field corners just before dusk

 

I have hunted Deleware county for the past 16 years, (town of Franklin) these are areas i commonly see deer. however i would not consider deleware county as BIG woods, bigger than suburban areas yes but i consider ADK big woods, world of difference between the 2

[robw]

Big woods does have terrain and the deer will use it.  My first choice is a steep short point off a ridge running down into a valley.  Deer will usually cross the end of the point more often than the more open valley bottom.  Also look for saddles on ridges, as deer will cut through the saddle rather that the open tops, usually.  One of my best big woods spots has a saddle that cuts into a point on the back side of the ridge, shot many deer there.  Get a paper topo map and mark where you see deer, and what direction they are moving.  After a few scouts or hunts, you'll be surprised by what routes they generally use.  Big woods deer may not have a specific trail they always use, but they definitely have preferred routes through specific cover / terrain they feel comfortable in.  Like the previous posters have pointed out, internal edges where different covers meet are good places to watch as well.

Big woods have food sources as well, and you should find them.  On your map, ID where the white oak trees are, and any apple or other fruit trees.  I hunt Allegany state park often, and have found several overgrown homesteads that have apples still producing.  Deer will use these food when they are available, and you should be ready to hunt them when acorns or fruit are dropping.  In some areas I've hunted there are so many red oaks (less preferred) it's ridiculous, 40 acres of acorn dining, so look for where they enter that area to eat.

Hunt from a tree stand!  At least initially.  This will increase your view tremendously, and allow you to see if the deer prefer to cross a ridge 100 yds from you.  Big Woods usually means more open, and you can usually see pretty far in you climb.  Not implying to move after every deer you see, but if you watch 8 deer cross, and they are all in the same general area, you should probably figure out why.  Once you know where to go, ground blinds can work pretty well.

So, big woods deer are tougher to hunt, but once you figure out the woods, can be pretty rewarding.  Unlike the farm land deer they are dispersed, more random, and usually fewer to be found, but put in the time to scout and find the terrain and food sources, you can do pretty well.

 

 

[growalot]

Considering he never mentioned the terrain of the property nor adjacent properties....everyone one did well giving tips....is there water...are there any type of trails...has it been logged ever and when...what type of vegetation?..mast trees and shrubs?

[A Sportsman]

Some real good tips here. Odd that the original poster never came back. The only things I would add is that 50 acres is nothing when it comes to big woods. You can walk the length of 50acres before first light and possibly not cut a track. Not to say that it isn't worth scouting out to see if there is a hot area in there.

Also, even with a bow, and depending on your sign, you may want to consiser hunting on foot. And forgoing treestand.

Also, pay close attention to the conditions you have and what the deer sEem to be doing and hunt accordingly. Is there snow? Is it crunchy, is there a breeze to cover your sound? Based on sign and sightings do deeer seem active? Or are they bedding all day?

And one more thing, if u want success figure on putting in a lot of time out there. Too often in the catskills my success is determined by conditions. And the conditoins can be lousy for days on end sometimes. Stay the course and be aware that the Biggest deer of your life could always be seconds away.

[A Sportsman]

Just realized that the original poster likely read these 15 replies and decided what most other hunters typically do. That "this isn't for me". That is one of the things that I love about the big woods. That its allure is really only understood by those who do it. I spend 7 to 10 days a year hunting deep in the catskills forever wild woods. Its the best 7 to 10 days of my entire year, every year.