I've hunted on extended trips along Seward, Dix, and off the Northville-Placid trail, and as trail 153 says, it's easy to get lost. Simply hike in about two miles and step off the trail. Go about 50 yards and you're in territories no one has lain eyes on in 90 years. The difficultly is (a) not getting lost (i.e., bring a compass) and (b) that unlike the West, you're below tree cover 99.5% of the time. To get above the tree line, you basically need to reach the peaks, and these are cut through with trails and infested with people. To avoid rangers, I simply hike in farther than they're willing to walk on an afternoon--about four miles--before leaving the trail.
Let me ask you a question, though, if you don't mind. I was thinking of scouting new hunting areas in the Catskills, e.g., in the most remote sections of Big Indian wilderness, where in theory one can do the same thing: hike in a few miles and cut off trail. I've found the Adirondack deer are wickedly smart and few and far between--one buck per square mile, which means that if you spook one, you're better off breaking camp and heading off than waiting for him to come back, because you're never going to get a second chance. And it's a long drive-- 9 hours from where I live. But if I read your post right, do you think that even the catskill wildernesses, which are supposed to be remote and untampered by human visitors, are too crowded to get away? Last thing I would want is hikers passing near my spike camp.
