It all depends. Are we talking about new spots or previously hunted?

New spots - I find them on some type of Map service (google earth, etc.) and see what the lay of the land looks like. This gives me a starting point. If I've driven by and see deer in a spot, I'll also make sure to check that out as well. From here, I just start to get a feel for the lay of the land and what I know from my maps and try to find the bedding and food sources. I'll look for old rubs, scrapes, trails etc to get an idea.

Existing spots - If there is ground I haven't covered, I will check that out. Otherwise, I will go to where I saw deer last year that passed by out of range or went a different way then I thought they should and see why. I'm always looking for new trees to climb as well. Last year after shooting my buck, I had to take a long way around to my truck as I wanted to give him a bit of time, and found 2 new trees that would have put me on 2 other bucks I saw that am. I'll also check out the food sources to see what's change from the previous fall.

Most of my scouting is done in the spring while shed hunting. Assuming nothing has change (like logging, construction, etc.) I don't spend much time until it's time to hunt.