What I do is watch them from a distance. I try to find a spot with a good view of their feeding area and use a good pair of binoculars. Well before dawn, with a moon, is a good time to scout.
I avoid going into their bedding areas. Watch where they come out of cover and into the open, they tend to use the same paths over and over. They may not use the same feeding area every day, but often return to the same spots periodically. If you watch long enough you'll be able to tell one Deer from the other and you can somewhat plot their habits.
Really not much for them to eat in the woods, that is where they hang out. They do the majority of their feeding at night on the forest edge or in the fields or meadows. They usually sleep in the brush during the hottest part of day.
I watch the Doe, where ever the Doe are is often where the Bucks show up when the rut starts. The Bucks can come in from a long distance, miles and it is often a waste of time trying to plot their habits before hunting season. I most always see Bucks during rut I've never seen before, the Does usually stay fairly close to home. When I say close to home, I mean in a broad sort of way, they may move a half mile or more during their normal travels. The Doe with fawns tend to wander less. It all depends on the amount of forage that is around and if they are getting a balanced diet. And how much they are molested or bothered.
I try to pick out specific Doe, learn to recognize them and plot their habits. Often the larger Doe seem to be group leaders, when and if they start to gather.
I've found spots on my lease where there is most always a breeder Doe (plus or minus a hundred yards or so). A good spot to set up for a Buck.
The Deer are kind of between a rock and a hard spot. They have to feed heavy while the forage is good before winter hits. The shorter the days the longer they feed. Hunters tend to drive them into the heavy brush and deep woods. Buck can be the exception, but they will usually be where the Doe are. Bucks may not feed much during the rut.
The best shot you are likely to get is broadside, in the open, head down feeding, at a round 40-50 yards. That shot is what I scout for and where I tend to set up my stands.
When they first come out of the woods or brush they are often pretty spooky. Once they settle in to feed they are a lot less likely to bolt.
Depends on the lay of the land, but a single spot is unlikely to have the same breeze, morning and evening.
Many people scout the trails between where the Deer bed down and they move to food and ambush them near the middle of their travels. Which is also a viable strategy to scout for. Though moving into a stand near a path can be a little rough. You don't want to use the Deer path. Most people cut a new backdoor path into their stands when they set up in the woods. Which is a lot of hot sweaty work in the late summer or early fall.