I always have a plan Dan.. much like you. And I study aerials and topo's before I go to bed at night.

I always think about the impact I may make on the land I am hunting. I still follow a real good scent control method even 6 or 7 months before the season hits. I like to do most of my scouting throughout the late Winter and into the shed season of March and early April.

I prepare my stands, when I already have a location to hunt, well in advance of the season. Unlike most guys I do bounce around to different locations every year.. so I have no choice but to prepare stand site's within the season sometime's. But I always stay low.. get in and get out quickly and quietly.. and with good scent control.

And absolutely.. the type of woods I hunt will determine certain aspects of my scouting and how I go about it.

But I would say.. your and my views on the subject are not too far off.. even with you hunting bigger woods and me hunting more farmland.