I use a variety of methods. It usually goes like this...
1) An hour or more before first light, I run my climber up a tree.
2) I sit in said tree not seeing deer until can't feel my hands and toes any longer.
3) I stay up in the tree a while longer.
4) I run the climber down the tree.
5) Then I wander around "stalking" until I'm warmed up. I still don't see deer.
6) After a few hours of this, I decide to get back up in either the original tree or another one for the last couple hours of legal shooting time.
7) Run climber up tree.
8) Slowly freeze (although not normally as bad as in the morning), while still not seeing deer.
9) When I can no longer see the base of the neighboring trees, I run the climber down, pack everything up by feel and head back to the car.
10) ... while not seeing deer.
Yeah, that's a typical deer hunting day. Then, every once in a while, a deer shows up within range and messes up the plan.