I am a Land Record Specialist so I get to look at my county maps all day so I spend a lot of time scouting lol....I dream about maps a night lol....
Definitely Google as a minimum. It helps learn where to look and predict where cover and travel corridors intersect. It also helps find quieter/shorter ways in and out. There is still no replacement for diligent heel to toe work though.
I spend a lot of time on ACME mapper 2.0 before going in to new places. It can save you a lot of scouting time because you can eliminate many unproductive areas before even setting foot on the ground.
I use acme mapper as well. Helps to have to topo and satellite views. I always have spots marked on a map that I want to scout prior to setting foot on a new property.
I pull up a topo and sat image as well. really improves scouting success, and let's me see things i may miss walking around.
Definitely use google earth and google maps, gives you a good idea of the land before you head out, and its free
I use http://www.scoutlookweather.com/ and love it. Look at the land and see the weather, but best of all is the scent cone!
You guys that have smartphones or iPads, there is an app called ihunt. Great tool. Good maps, weather conditions, and stands sites. It's a must have for me!! Baseball, Bowhunting, Beer. Not necessarily in that order.. 'Merica
Google earth is amazing you can upload cordinates from your gps so you know where all your stand sites are and you can save it and upload it and also print it.
It's a must, putting rubber to the ground is priceless but so can overhead maps and topos....they can show you subtle pinches that may start off the property your scouting but end up on a part of the property. Funnels located just off the property are HUGE pieces of information some overlook or are just to lazy to care about.
