I would agree that scouting would help you identify where and how the deer are using your property. With your situation (time limitations), I would suggest that you invest in a coulpe of Game/Trail cameras. Place these along some well-established trails to get an idea of who is lurking around you area and to get some ideas on the various times of day and direction in which they are moving. Then, scout around the areas to which they are headed to locate either bedding or food sources. Hunt these areas and be aware of the prevailing wind directions to place your permanent stands accordingly.

I also agree with the previous post that you should locate doe groups and hunt them. This would hopefully result in the sightings of the big boys (assuming the gun season corresponds with the various stages of the rut in your area).

Killing deer isn't easy, but there are definitely things that you can do to increase your odds each outing. As for those that make that claim...maybe they are just in a better situation and have a tremendous amount of time to prepare.