Those areas have a longish season, which means you wil be hunting in the heat early on, a little cooler later, so have a good pack with water and extra layers.
Study up on how to gut a deer, in the warm weather you want to get them gutted and cooling as quickly as possible. I have a story about a friend who shot a deer, and since he didn't know how to clean it, he went to town so he could call me and ask how. Don't be like him.
Just about any decent rifle will do in those areas, I used to hunt around Kit Carson, Grass Valley, and Emigrant Gap with my Winchester 94 many years ago. Shots are generally close because of so many trees, the deer hold pretty well until you are just about on top of them. There are more deer in areas with oaks than areas with Ponderosas.
If you can sit still, get there to your spot in the dark and wait for first light and start looking for movement. If you just gotta move, move slowly and work sidehill in areas between bedding and water.
Bucks are the last up and the first to bed. If you are going to hunt during the day you will have to work cover pretty well.
In the evening, you can catch them heading to water just before sunset.