Yes! Most my time in the woods is actually spent scouting. I never sit on stand and wonder if I will kill a deer there. My scouting predetermines that and I should know before I sit on my stand.(it's a state of mind) So I advise to always be scouting. I wouldn't go in deep in the heart of where deer reside, like their sanctuaries or bedding areas, but the edges and areas where they are known to travel through and feed at. Also spray your lower extremities down very well as to not lay down a scent trail to tip them off you're around. Don't walk on deer trails and areas suspect of bedded deer, stay down or crosswind of such areas. Be very quiet and do it quickly looking for trails, tracks, dropping, feedings and beds. When you spot a rub or scrape, it may help to take a look to see what direction he was traveling when he made it and determine when it was made. Many of these activities are done at night and if you set a stand over sign, make sure it's somewhere they are apt to visit it during shooting hours. Also determine if it's to their feeding, from their feeding, like headed back to bedding areas, etc. Then you can decide if it's a morning or evening stand. Sign can tell you a lot, but you have to learn to read or decipher it and that is the harder part of scouting; to figure what you are reading and determine the next step. This activity is best done during the middle of the day when most deer are bedded down.

Good luck out there, be safe and have some fun!

iSnipe