Riddle me this.

[splitfinger]

Is the spotlight for night hunting or so you can see the gay hillbillies trying to sneak up on you?

You guys are tough on us East Texas hunters.

[Cooper]

I would be in the Creek Bottom surrounded by Oaks.....but, I would be in a tree climber. I would look for a major crossing on the Creek and that would be my first setup. If that didn't pan out, I would take my climber and move a little as the day goes on after watching the deer movement and also playing the wind.

[SaltwaterSlick]

Go hang out in the local diners and just listen... try to talk to locals without horning in or imposing on them. Actually part of why you started this thread is this very thing... good start by the way.

Then apply what you hear to your specific area. If you choose to invade an area you determine is a bedding area, you run the risk of spooking mature deer off the area (not so much younger deer, bucks or does). If you get right in their dinner table, same thing... Early season before any real mast (acorns and such) begin to drop, the deer will be browsers, so setting up along transition areas, the edge of an old clear cut, along a drainage or creek bottom, etc, may be a good strategy. When doing this, the wind is your #1 adversary. Without the right wind, you might as well stay home... especially if a mature buck is what you are after. Also a mature buck will use the transition areas to set up his own "stands" for does during the rut. His stands will be scrapes, rub lines and the like... not a random scrape or hooked bush, but a discernible "line" where multiple scrapes and other hard sign is visible along a path, not just random in an area... again, hunt the wind...

Good luck!

[OUTDOORSMANEVERETT]

Depends on what time of year. Opening of archery or gun ? Archery might have me on the edge of a clear cut. Gun might have me in the oaks, if their are acorns.

same

[Speedgoat]

Where creek bottom and valley meet spur and ridge.

[Rack Ranch]

Find a white oak tree with acorns.... Trust me!!

[ajcarricktx]

The transition area in the edge of the creek bottom.

[kornsqueezer]

I would be in the Creek Bottom surrounded by Oaks.....but, I would be in a tree climber. I would look for a major crossing on the Creek and that would be my first setup. If that didn't pan out, I would take my climber and move a little as the day goes on after watching the deer movement and also playing the wind.

This would be my option

[Master Blaster]

I've hunted E. Texas over a creek bottom and never seen one deer travel it in the 4 years I hunted there...my vote is for the clearing.

[deer99hunter]

Use satellite imagery to find the thickest, nastiest looking place on the 10k acres. Take a climbing stand and a pop-up, find a trail leading into said thick/nasty stuff, and set up whichever is needed to hunt it

[EastTx]

I would be on the edge of a clear cut in a spot where I could see the farthest, so I will know where I should move my stand for the next day.

[SaltwaterSlick]

Find a white oak tree with acorns.... Trust me!!

Absolutely! IF there are White Oak or Overcup (Burr) Oak acorns, you don't need to hunt deer. Just hunt those acorns and set up with a good wind direction. The deer will come to you.

[Extremehunter37]

I would google map the hell out of the place! Find good food sources (white oaks and burr oaks apparently.. never hunted east tx) constantly check wind directions before opening and set up own climbing tree stand or ground blind.. ( might be used to set stands already)

[d_e_smith]

Creek bottom, preferably along an smaller SMZ branching off the creek on the edge of mixed forest and pine plantation. If the firelane has grown up deer will travel it and browse along it since they're notorious edge browsers. Middle of bow season drift more towards open areas close to thick cover.

[Backwoods101]

Riddle me this.

Go hang out in the local diners and just listen... try to talk to locals without horning in or imposing on them. Actually part of why you started this thread is this very thing... good start by the way.

Then apply what you hear to your specific area. If you choose to invade an area you determine is a bedding area, you run the risk of spooking mature deer off the area (not so much younger deer, bucks or does). If you get right in their dinner table, same thing... Early season before any real mast (acorns and such) begin to drop, the deer will be browsers, so setting up along transition areas, the edge of an old clear cut, along a drainage or creek bottom, etc, may be a good strategy. When doing this, the wind is your #1 adversary. Without the right wind, you might as well stay home... especially if a mature buck is what you are after. Also a mature buck will use the transition areas to set up his own "stands" for does during the rut. His stands will be scrapes, rub lines and the like... not a random scrape or hooked bush, but a discernible "line" where multiple scrapes and other hard sign is visible along a path, not just random in an area... again, hunt the wind...

Good luck!

Excellent advice!