Of course it's not hunting, but you have to make sure you're not violating some other law, like damaging trees or something in a park. If it's an area yo plan to hunt I think you'll do more harm than good. It's a known fact tht most big deer are shot the FIRST or SECOND time in a particular location. Everytime you leave a littel more evidence of your passing for the deer to smell or see. Scouting at this time of year isn't really going to tell you where they deer will be in Sept or Oct. I'd prefer to find a place where I can see a lot of ground and food without walking on it.