If I were hunting primarily woods type country down South, I'd have an illuminated reticle in whatever scope proved to hold zero. For binos, I'd have a good medium priced ($500-$1000) 8x42.
It's interesting that you mention the illuminated reticle. That's the way I am leaning. The very few first minutes and last minutes of legal light can find me searching for the crosshairs on the kill zone. I can see the crosshairs against a more open background and I can make out the kill zone on the deer, but as soon as I put the crosshairs on the target, I lose them.
I am considering a Leupold VX5 firedot. Leupold has a little known veterans program that will give me a pretty good discount.
