Basically, there are three ways to gain access to hunting grounds where the likelihood of encountering others is minimal. These involve what I've always heard described as "shank's mare" (hiking or backpacking) or by horse or watercraft. (Some readers might wonder about use of ATVs, but from this writer's perspective, any place that four-wheelers can reach doesn't fit the true definition of back of beyond.)

For the backpacker, the primary consideration--provided you have identified a good deer hunting area--involves personal fitness and woodscraft skills. An experienced camper carrying a gun on his shoulder and his home on his back can manage a week to 10 days in the wilderness without a great deal of trouble.

A good tent and sleeping bag, essential cooking utensils, dehydrated foods and the proper personal gear can all come in at a weight of between 50 and 60 pounds. The key is to know your gear and your needs, plan menus carefully and be prepared to deal with adverse weather.

The backpack hunter needs to know how to set up a comfortable, functional camp; be willing to hike, sometimes for miles, from that camp while hunting; and know his way in the woods. A compass and GPS are essential for this type of hunting. Carry both, and be sure to bring extra batteries for the GPS.

Weight considerations and bulk mean you probably will have to leave your favorite climbing or lock-on stand at home. Instead, you will find yourself hunting deer the traditional way: on the ground. You can either still-hunt or find a comfy tree to stand or sit against that affords a good view of a deer trail crossing.

Horses and mules also afford access to the hinterland, and while the average hunter doesn't have access to equine help, those who do are able to reach remote areas without walking themselves to death--and they can carry in more gear and have an easier time of bringing deer back out.

But stock also has its disadvantages. Some terrain is too rugged for horses and may not offer a way to feed them when you get to your destination, and some trails are off-limits to horses and mules.

Over much of the country there are sections of rivers--from the blackwater streams that weave their way through coastal plains all across the Southeast to muddy creeks in the Midwest and whitewater in the Rockies--that beckon the deer hunter.

I particularly like the possibilities afforded by hunting swamps or using a canoe or johnboat to penetrate remote locations that are otherwise pretty much inaccessible. Hunting swamps involves a willingness to deal with mosquitoes and snakes if the weather is warm or insulated waders if it's not, but the effort can be well worthwhile.

After all, deer regularly use swamps, most of which have elevated sections or islands scattered throughout them that deer seek as refuges. And swamp oaks and other mast producing trees often draw them to such spots in the fall.

River hunting requires more attention to logistics. You either need to leave a vehicle at your take-out spot or else make arrangements to have someone meet you.

The ideal approach is to drop off all the gear at the launch site, shuttle one vehicle to the intended take-out spot, then return in a second one to where the river travel is to begin.