I don’t know where you are hunting so it is pretty hard for me to offer you much advice on where to find deer in your hunting area. I don’t think you are looking for advice anyway but just in case you really are I’ll give my take on the situation.
4C, 4D
All I can say is that I hunt in units 2G and 2F where everyone says there almost no deer yet I seem to find deer in pretty much all of the places I expect deer to be living. During the day I can find them in the places that are so think you can’t get close enough to see one. I know they are there though because of all the sign they have left behind.

During the early morning and late evening I find them on the edges of the bedding areas that are so think hunters don’t ever go in them as they are moving toward the best food item areas. I
I agree, this has always been the case in my experience.
What I can tell you is that I and the majority of the other hunters I know, who spend their time hunting instead of complaining, are still being pretty darn successful, even if they aren’t seeing as many deer as they once did.
I spend as much time as anyone in the woods. I am in the woods all year round, when I can't hunt I'm training my German shorthair. I cover hundreds of miles each year on foot in the mountains. I see deer but not many, I see deer sign but not much and it is always in a centralized area. Our woods are capable of supporting more deer. It is evident by the browse I see remaining and the lack of impact on the food plots I planted. This doesn't mean that PAGC is doing all that is within their capabilities to increase the quality of thehabitat.
I will agree though that there are certainly a lot more pockets of poor habitat areas that aren’t worth hunting anymore since the deer don’t have to live in the areas with worthless habitat just to find enough food to go around any more.
The mountains I hunt consist of almost the exact same habitat and food sources whether it be at the top of the mountain or at the bottom right next to the corn fields. I guess the whole valley I live in is one of those places not worth hunting. But it isn't b/c the deer don't have food, we just don't have that many deer. I work in Harrisburg and live in the mountains, where do you think I see more deer? I travel a 23 mile roadthat is surrounded on both sides by nothing but forest, on the lower side is a creek which flows into a backup water supply for Harrisburg. I have not seen a deer hit along that road in over a month and a half. I travel it every day. There is no sensible reason for me not seeing one dead deer in all that time.

As for the scent free clothing and other such gimmicks and gadgets I don’t think they really make that much difference unless you can first place your self in the place where deer are most likely to want to be. That is exactly what I do by hunting those food and water sources. And I know for a fact using scent precautions works. I have not been blown at yet this season and in Ohio I had been within feet of deer and surrounded by deer... upwind, downwind, crosswind etc, never once was detected. Rubber soled boots work if they are sprayed down everytime you enter the woods. I watched a doe walk right down a path I used to get to my stand, my buddy was running late and intersected this path when comingin. She never noticed where I had walked but as soon as she came to where he had passed she started stomping and blowing. He takes his "leather boots" off before leaving the woods and she still picked up his scent.
Can you tell us five of the best deer browse species in your hunting area?
Maple, Birch, White Oak, clover, brassica
Can you identify each of those most preferred browse species.
White Oak, clover, brassica
Even finding the best food source isn’t enough though if you can’t figure out where the deer are spending their daytime hours and then figure out just how close you can set up that area without spooking them.
They travel down towards thecreek in the morning and then bed down somewhere down low. They travel upwards in the evening to my food plots and then after feeding awhile head up towards the mountain.
Also remember that a deer will know every place a person has walked or been for almost a week after they were there. Most deer avoid those people trails until well after dark.
Yep!
R.S. Bodenhorn