I am not a veteran, but here's my thoughts anyway:

A rifle will have superior range and accuracy in comparison to a shotgun, but a rifle will cost you a lot, and so will a scope. A used rifle is probabally not a bad option if you can find one.

I don't know much about hunting with slugs (for your shotgun), but if you take this route, perhaps try hunting in a thicker, less open area. Since you won't have much range, you might as well try to get in there where the deer will run for cover to get away from the other hunters. Being up in a stand helps to keep your scent away from deer, so for ground hunting you may want to worry more about scent cover/remover. Don't blow money on a "scent-lock" jacket, but maybe spend $15 on one of those scent eliminator combo packs.

As for ground hunting, I would just find a spot near some tracks or in an area where you have a good line of sight (within the range of your gun). Maybe sit there for at least an hour or 2. Then, if you want, you can creep (very slowly and quitely) to a new location and sit there. If you find the perfect tree, you may be able to climb up some low branches and get a good 8'-10' off the ground, but be very careful not to climb a tree with dead branches, and remember to unload your gun while climbing into a tree or stand.

As far as stands go, I'm going to buy a $50 climber from walmart tomorrow, once I get a chance to check it out I'll come tell ya how it works. If it turns out to be decent, $50 is pretty damn cheap for a stand!

If baiting is allowed in your state, I would put out some bait to try bring in a deer. If you're on private land, you can begin baiting a few days before you hunt there, so that deer will get used to finding food there. I'm not sure if putting out bait in some random spot and then sitting 30-40 yards away is effective or not.

Hope some of this is helpful. And once again, this is just from my limited experience. You're best bet would be to find someone in your area who hunts and ask them when/where/ and how they hunt!