Recent Former Newbie here. You need to be out there BEFORE then sun comes up... and stay until AFTER the sun has gone down if you want to see the Bucks. Try to think of each time you go out there as sorta like you making one move in a game of chess. And while you're out there... you're making plans for that next move in the game the next time you go back out near that area.
And for goodness sakes get yourself some Trail Cameras! (and Cable Locks for them!).
You're mostly not going to see very much while you're still moving. While you're moving.. you as a human are a ridiculously loud and noisy creature compared to most everything else.
While you are walking into some of your areas you choose to focus on and believe they show promise... try to think about how you would walk back in there more quietly when it's game-time and you're trying to sneak back in to some place you think would work good to sit at. Plan for a place to stop and change out of the sweatied-up undershirt you initially had on during the hike-in. Always be thinking about your scent and keeping it as minimal as possible.
Become good at detecting the direction of the wind and feeling it upon your face and skin. For the most part, don't even bother with trying to look in the direction your scent blows to, won't be a damn thing coming from that direction. Though sometimes they might be coming up from that side down in a gullie or something and might not catch a whiff. ALWAYS be very aware of what you are hearing around you!
In the areas you go, make note of how the wind direction changes at the different times of the day.
Make sure you note how the shadows of the trees or bushes you choose to sit under/near travel across the ground during the day. You may find a cool spot to sit and ambush at... but it might only be good up until a certain time of the day before you're no longer able to be in the shadows while sitting there anymore. Develop a plan of where you will move and transition to at that time of day when you can no longer remain at the first spot.
Also learn your gear and at what temperatures you'll need to switch over to lighter/heavier stuff. There will be mornings you wished you packed a little bit more layers or your thicker gloves. It sucks major butt-nuggets to be on your sit shivering away because your gear juuust isn't quite warm enough for those initial 2 or 3 hours of first light.
A lot of what makes for a "good scouting technique" really depends on what type of terrain you're at. In the more open terrains, you've got to sometimes be willing to take a long round-a-bout way of getting to the place you are interested in doing a sit at, since if you just try to go directly there in a straight line... more direct trail... the openness of some areas will allow every damn thing around on the hillside you're approaching to be able to see you from a long ways away. Plan your route such that you are not exposed and have cover on your way there! And really... really work on Looking Up when you're on the hike-in! It's very easy to fall into the bad habit of just watching your feet too much. You'd be surprised what you end up seeing out of the corner of your eyes sometimes!
In the more thick types of terrain, look for the more open spaces that cut thru all that thick. And you might have to build-up a ground blind out of dead branches you find around so you can have some cover to sit there some amount of distance backed up off a part of the trail that looks like they go thru there..or that your TrailCams have confirmed go thru there!
Learn how to NOT freaking move.
Learn how to NOT sniff.
Learn how to NOT cough.
Learn how to move SLOWLY when you do have to move, such as turning your head to look in another direction.
Get comfortable. Loosen your belt, maybe even undo your top pants button while on the sit, if you're blessed with an abudant "power-center" like I have, HaHA! So that way you're not fidgeting while on the sit.
Wear concealment gear, liner gloves and fullface mesh mask so your covered good from the bugs without being too hot. Really helps a lot with the bugs. They will still occasionally come up to your eyes, (I wear glasses and they help a lot!) but small puffs of air that are relatively quiet usually work decent at shoo'ing them away. I used to try using the ThermaCell device, but it doesn't really work all that great on flies. And especially if there's a breeze, and that vapor can irritate your lungs a bit.
Anyway... with a bunch of times of going out there... if you're paying attention well.. you'll start to get good at noticing the subtle little signs of where they've travelled thru. Remember, they've got those Antlers to deal with too when traversing thru terrain, so their not going to want to bust thru places where those Antlers are catching on everything under the sun. Thinking about logical things like that will help you not waste time with checking out useless places.
Also spend some quality time inspecting Sattelite Views really well. Sometimes you'll be surprised to find that there wee other open areas not to far away from where you were at, but you just couldn't see them because of all the chaparral in the way.
And definitely keep shade in mind! They need shade to survive the day without having access to some kinda nearby water.
Adjacent private properties can be a great help too! Especially if they have Horses, because then they'll have water trough, and I gaurantee you those Deer are sneaking in there at night to drink. So then you try to find the most likely crossing point in the fence line. Sometimes there'll be a dead tree that toppled over and is holding down the barbed wire. Bingo! Or the lay of the land creates a low spot thats easier for them to jump over here, rather than other places. Stuff like that.
On access roads, make note of places where trees on an adjacent slope cause a bunch of acorns to fall and then roll-down to the road and gather up at places of easy-pickin's along a dirt road, especially in a shady little turn in the road.
Don't forget a Tripod for your Binoculars! When Binos are on the Tripod, it's like magic how your eyes will see anything that moves in the Field of View!
Good luck!
