RE: Scouting tricks and tips.
Scouting: keep your eyes open to look for deer chutes, worn paths, poop, food sources, escape routes, natural terrain of the woods and hills and gulleys. Add all these items up and you will figure out their main trails and bedding areas.
I've taken my stand into the woods in July and sat there until the mosquitoes got too bad. I've taken my stand into the woods on Sundays when we're not allowed to hunt and sat there from 6AM until 9AM eating a bagel and watching deer move about without pressure.
All of these things add up to scouting. It takes time. It takes effort. It takes some technical stuff like trailcams, etc. But, it pays off!