I don't have all the answers, but I can give you some of the methods that have worked for me. Here in central Illinois, the land is basically flat. For the most part it is made up of large tracts of farm land mixed with small timbered lots. The timbered area that I hunt contains a mix of White Oak, Hickory, and Walnut trees. Some of the best places to hunt are water ways.
Whitetail deer are creatures of habit.
They bed during the day in the timber and feed at night in the open fields. While the crops are high enough to hide them, they may stay in the fields all the time. By watching the edges of fields, you can determine where the deer are entering and leaving the timber. During the middle of the day go to these spots and find the entrance trail. Follow this back into the timber.