I started back in February when all the leaves are gone. You can find trails, scrapes, rubs and other sign easy. Every year my son and I set aside time to scout our properties. Around the end of December we put all our cameras out to get an idea of what bucks have made it. When time for sheds to drop we have plastic barrels with holes in them tied to trees and filled with corn, buck come in and push the barrels with there antlers and then fall off. In March while scoutting turkey's we find new stand locations and cut shooting lanes and so forth. When it comes down to it we scout almost all year long. Good Hunting.