burnie, has some good advice but I'm not a ground person. Get a portable climber. I prefer a single piece loggy (bad marketing when a fan can't tell you what the model is called today). Go in during day light and hunt somewhere. Just get up a tree in the best place you can find. Just because you don't get a deer in front that hunt isn't bad. Hopefully you see them and can guess where they will be next. Sitting in a stand is still scouting.

Most important, during the rut, you choose a tree and a Does walks by 60 yrds away with a buck on her trail and/or a group of Does the same thing, MOVE!!!!!! The noise you make, hopefully little, will pay off because 9 out of 10 times, nice bucks will follow that same path that day. You have the choice of watching or shooting.

Good luck!