In times past, I've been in Wisconsin woods that look like that Alabama picture. The only place slugs dominated were in their so called limited range weapon zones. Some folks would use full house magnums. Why not, better put to use than just sit in a safe, but ther was generally a large area that had to be carved out. My sense was lever rifles far out numbered the slug shotguns. While the woods could be thick, I think most folks would look for stands with open lanes where they could watch more ground and might get a longer shot.
I suppose a big difference would be, up north there'd be more or less leaf drop depending. There was a tendency for deer hunters to take a mid day break, so I'd be out around lunch time for some grouse hunting. I hear there aren't as many birds these days.
