Google Earth is your friend. Turn on the "stuff" to show roads. Tip so you're looking at an angle. It makes seeing topography much easier than trying to visualize on a flat map. It'll also show you cover, open areas, etc.
Beyond that ... each sort of deer is different. I hunt blacktails in Oregon so what I do probably doesn't apply.
I hunt public land only, not private, so hunting crops is not a factor. I've given up to a large degree on hunting oak patches 'cause while they hold a concentration of deer, they seem to hold even greater concentrations of hunters. I've moved to deep conifer woods looking for deer feeding on mushrooms, lichens, and browse. That being the case I look for blocks of steep timber without roads cutting through them but having some water. The rest takes care of itself. I still hunt which stirs things up even more.
Tom
