Sometimes i make my scouting a family affair. My wife and two kids love the outdoors as much as me so i just take them along with me when they want to go. I usually try to scout just after the season goes out two or three times a week for about a month and then do the same thing about a month before the season comes in which leaves plenty of time in between. After the season i look for scrapes and rubs that are still visible and food sources that are still being used. In the late summer i scout for beds and food sources and the trails leading to and from. Scouting doesn' t always require alot of leg work and can be done in a small amount of time if you know what you' re looking for. When the rut is on it' s a whole different ballgame because the bucks are very hard to pattern but i find that at this time if i' ll stick with the food sources and find the does the bucks won' t be far behind. In my experience it seems that after deer season is over and the pressure is off deer will usually get back into a pattern or routine and stay that way until they are pressured to change or the rut kicks in. Scouting is a major part of my deer hunting arsenal because i don' t think i would see or harvest the deer that i do without scouting. God Bless!