Why you NEED to scout NOW!!!

Figured I would check my spot near my house(10 min) this morning. Check on stand sites and the oak tree mast. I can only hunt less than 25 acres. I was on road less than 500 yds from my woods. Was a little foggy. All of a sudden 2 small bucks jump across the road. While I am watching them 2 more bigger bucks go across. While I am checking those 2,  2 large bucks walk across!!!  The 2 biggest had very high racks(8 and 9 pts). Not very wide though. All bucks in velvet. I can't think of a better way to begin my 2012 deer season!!!!!!  Can't believe people dont believe scouting is important.

Nice to hear you got to lay eyes on a couple good ones...
 
I personally do very little scouting this time of year.  I try to take the least intrusive approach possible and excercise great caution not to disturb their natural movements.  I firmly believe that spooking mature bucks now will knock them off of their patterns and cause them to cut back on daytime movement.
 
I do have some cameras working for me at the moment mainly just to see what is out there because by the time the season is here patterns/behaviors will be different as the bucks shed their velvet and preferred food sources begin to change.  I do most of my scouting during the season...  

I let the camera do the scouting, and check the film very little this time of year. I too dont want to disturb the woods. During the season I end up inadvertently throwing the deer off their natural patterns from going and coming from my stands.
 
BH