I scout all year , after a fashion . I use TerraServer and Maptech to get an overview of interesting properties , this helps me to understand the terrain and spot potential funnels . You can download free topo maps and aerial photos from both sites , although the aerials are usually out of date . This is handy on public land because you can find the most likely entry points that other hunters will probably use , then get in ahead of them and let them drive game your way . Once I decide where I want to go I' ll scout the land on foot early in the year to find water sources and mast areas . After correlating the data I figure out which spots will give the highest percentage chance to get a deer . [8D]