Hey guys, I have a ton of readily accessible public and private land to hunt around me in New Jersey and I have been fortunate enough to have some success over the last 2 seasons. However I have been bumping around the idea of attempting to hunt the big woods for the first time in my life up in North Jersey, something like Worthington State Forest. The original plan was to hunt for 3-4 days within the first 2 weeks of January and hike out with a hang on and just do hang and hunts every day, or possibly set up baited spots a few weeks prior. Either renting out a motel or sleeping in the truck would get me through the week. The idea of hunting big timber and mountains excites me and would be a great end to the season away from simply miles of fields. Would not be looking for a buck either, while that would be nice my goal would just be to fill the freezer with some doe meat. Any suggestions? New land, new style of hunting and far from home. Any advice would be appreciated!
You'll need topo maps and aerial photos. I recommend a lot of studying before-hand, and also bring paper copies into the woods. I like to use mapper.acme.com or get a topo layer to overlay on google earth. I can provide more details if this is new to you. Have a plan for day 1, day 2, etc. Also have a plan B and plan C in case you get to an area that looks good on the maps but there's no deer sign. Or scout before the season if possible. Next I would recommend a hunting app if you're handy with a smartphone. Or a gps unit if you aren't. Find out if there's cell coverage where you're hunting. If not, the hunting app is still very useful but you have to prepare a little more before walking into the woods. Lots of posts on this forum about hunting apps... If success matters, talk to local game wardens...they'll likely have some recommendations on where the deer are or where hunters are successful. They may also know areas where you can get your truck deep into the woods, so if you hike a few miles from the truck, you can get to places that no one else goes (if that's what you want). Get in shape (if you're not already) BEFORE your trip...you won't regret it. Get good sturdy water-proof boots and break them in. You're going to be tired and soar, so take care of your feet or you'll be miserable. Lastly you need to consider safety. My biggest concerns in the big woods in winter are (in order) falling from a tree; cold weather; injury/trip/ankle/knee; and getting lost. If you have cell coverage, you have less to worry about but still need to be careful. Prepare for different possibilities and make sure someone knows where you will be, even if it's a note/map on the dash of your truck. I carry a pistol, whistle and fire-starting supplies (and know how to use them). i have lists of things I carry, lists of things i keep in the truck, and lists of things at base camp, if you're interested.
Up here in Ontario Canada we mainly hunt big woods public land. First off, I guarantee you there are bigger and older deer in there. Only problem, they are very hard to find in those deep woods. We can bait here too and I do bait on my agricultural spots. But when I go up north to the public land big woods, in my opinion. No big deer will come to it. I have never seen it. There are far too many natural food sources for a big ole smart buck to get sucked into a bait pile. It's different when your on agriculture land, where it's small wood lots and main food source is the ag. Then come fall when all the fields are harvested, now the natural food sources become stingy. So bait piles can bring them in. But in the big woods where we are talking thousands and thousands of thick wooded acres. They couldn't depelte the food source if they tried too. In my opinion the best way to hunt the big woods. Get in there now while it's very green and find paths. Find paths to water, or food source, bedding. Anything. They should be quite obvious this time of year. Do as much recon as you can without stirring things up too much. Make your plan. And stay out until hunting day. I go in with a climber as I don't want to set anything up that could change patterns prior too. I come in with a climber and see what happens. Your far more likely to trick a mature buck when you've arrived by complete surprise. You put out lures, bait etc. Even if he comes in. He will be very wary, circling around to get a taste of the wind to see if it's safe. And when you have a mature bucks senses on overdrive. You'll never get him. When he's walking around thinking it's just another morning. That's when he will make the mistake. Does the above method guarantee big deer? Hell no. Public land hunting in big woods you just want to see deer. That's a goal in its self. But at least you know the travel routes and have confirmed them. And one day something nice will come through. Again as long as the element of surprise still exists.
