I think you already have some good ideas but I'll add some ideas of my own.
Get out and hike this summer and learn the areas you plan to hunt. This will provide you with the benefit of exercise, learning your physical limits and help you learn the country you plan to hunt. Hiking off trail is much more difficult and slower than hiking on a trail. While hunting, I spend very little time hiking on trails and it is good to learn how to navigate the country you plan to hunt without the aid of a trail.
As a new hunter, don't underestimate the ability of animals to smell you. Deer and elk will have no problem smelling you even if they are 300 yards downwind. Often you won't even know these animals were there because they will disappear before you ever see them. You can fool an animals eyes and ears but you will never fool their nose. Scent lock suits and sprays might help a little but I believe a deer that is 100 yards downwind of you is going to smell you every time, even if you do everything you can to minimize your scent.
Don't underestimate the eyesight of the animals you are hunting. Pronghorn have amazing eyesight. I've had deer and elk spot me multiple times from 500+ yards away. I've had pronghorn that were a mile away run from me when I've stopped my truck to look at them. If you skyline yourself or make quick movements, animals are more likely to spot you. Camo can help some but staying off the top of ridge lines and your movement is much more important than camo.
Learn to use binoculars. It isn't uncommon for me to sit in one spot for more than 2 hours or more just looking through my binoculars. Using binoculars for close range spotting while still hunting through trees can also be effective. While scouting in the summer, just glassing animals for the first 2-3 hours of the morning can teach you a lot about animal movements and teach you to trust your binoculars even when you have been looking through them for an hour strait without seeing a single deer or elk.
Being mentally prepared to hunt day after day is challenging. If you can get a friend to hunt with, it can really help with the mental part of the game. I find after 3 days by myself hunting, it is more mentally challenging than when I have a friend to share camp with.