when scouting....I prefer to take the time for the serious scouting trip DURING THE SEASON! Of course I am scouting year round, but you never know if the birds are using the spot during the time you can hunt there unless you check during the season......scout ahead for your best observation points, hiding areas etc....but the best scouting time for knowing if the birds are there is at the time of year you will be hunting.....How many times have you thought a spot looked good, but have never ever seen a bird in there? I have it kinduv simple here in Maine....we cannot hunt on Sundays...so that is a scouting morning unless I am heading to NH....another thing I like to do is take an afternoon scout/hunt....it's easy to see where you are going, you'll get familiar with an area in the daylight and you can set markers or lines of sight etc....if they are there, you have some shooting or you know where you can get them in the pm.....if not, try a morning
I tried this technique this past season and found a bonanza! Got nada one afternoon, but figured out where to go, how long it would take etc...went back a week later in the morning and limited in a half hour shooting only one per flock...it was that busy! Went back again and li ited another morning just at teh end of the season....guess where I will be next year!!????