Question for guys that’s been hunting longer than I’ve been alive. I hunt in Marion county with a tract that mainly consists of pines, and a couple creek bottoms or (smz’s). How do y’all like to setup and hunt these area

Creek bottoms are hard cause the wind will be swirling. Might be best to hunt the ridges around them for travel routes between them and food. You may be able to use the creek to enter and exit without getting seen or smelled, be a high risk stand to hunt in am when the thermals take your sent up. Or maybe on a rainy day when your scent will be pushed down into the creek. Could be a great late season set up to get bucks in the bedroom. But the wind is the main concern.

there are so many factors to play into this, it is extremely hard to say. I have typed out an answer 4 times and each time I think of other factors that will play into it.

you have to consider topography, transition of timber, thermals, wind, etc. if you have a map of a spot you want to hunt, it would be helpful in giving a better answer.

figure out where they are crossing and set up downwind.

Hunt the ridges overlooking the bottoms so you cover both...deer will travel both

Edges.
The transition terrain is golden.
Deer will travel the edges, of tall timber, cutover, Ag fields, any edge.

https://postimg.cc/ZCmxj5c0

The road loops around and goes to the creek, road splits the pines/hardwoods

Can you see into the pines? The SMZ is pretty worthless (my experience from 30 years of hunting similar terrain). Only good thing about the SMZ is being able to climb high enough to see out into the cutover/pines. Sure, this isn't a blanket statement, but 99% of the deer I've killed in similar terrain were out in the pines themselves, I just happened to be 937 feet high and could see into the thick stuff. Very few times (if any?) have I killed a deer in the SMZ itself.

Same here but it sure does look like a good place for them to be moving doesn't it?

I can't tell you how many times I've climbed up on one of those smz knowing that at any minute big boy was about to walk out

This setup looks very familiar to were I used to hunt.
I killed a many Deer and hogs on this type terrain.I love hunting
on edges of a creek bottom and short or thinned pines

I was in a club in Bibb county that had a 1 year old cutover with smz's full of white oaks that were loaded. I figured they would travel the smz's to stay outta sight. Wrong! Every deer I saw was in the cutover eating poke salad. When the rut rolled around in December, I got on top of a ridge out in the cutover. I killed a nice buck chasing a doe, but it was running her in the smz. Go figure. Creek bottoms have swirling winds.

I can see about 15-20 yds into the pines from the ground. Before you get to the creek going down the hill the hardwoods are thick almost like pine/hardwood mix. Then it opens up at the creek

Spoken like a true flat-lander.I'm right there with you
Hunt where the deer are,not where you expect them to be...

Find where multiple edges come together in a small area...….those are usually good spots.

I’d be looking hard at the spot where the creek bends back to the right. Ridge comes out and the bottom splits, cutover to the west, pines to the north and east. Probably hang two stands if there was good sign. One on the edge of the cutover and hardwoods, one on the point of the ridge to the NW of where it says Hobson’s creek.

Also the hardwood finger directly to the south of where it says Hobson’s creek could be good. Several ridge fingers coming together right in there.

man, y'all are messing up my opening day set up plans...

Get 2 of your buddies with a couple milk jugs full of rocks on the downwind side of the thickest crap on your place. you find a draw on the upwind side and hustle in there quiet like and tell them to CMON.....

Those bottoms are travel routes. Find a bottom where two or more ridges meet causing a primary funnel for all the deer. The more ridges that meet and cause a funnel the better. When you find it setup where you can see the most of it. Set up your camera and feed to see which directions they are coming from and going so that you minimize the chance of getting busted. Those bucks will use those places to ambush does during the rut. Other than green fields late in the seasoned or a random oak tree dropping acorns on Pine plantations those spots are some of the best year round areas to hunt. Good luck