I have always preferred to use a scope in thick forest as well. When hunting Blacktail bedding areas, a scope can definitely helps in low filtered light to follow the ear twitch or tail flick to the body where a shot can be taken. Just make sure you dial your scope back a bit, LOL.
A few years back hunting near Summit Creak. I noticed movement barely 20 yards away through the dense trees and undergrowth. I threw my rifle up and all I saw was grey hair!
I could not even tell what part of the bucks body I was looking at.
The previous hunt, I had been in Winthrop, and I forgot dial my VXIII down at the start of this hunt. By the time I realized what was wrong, he was in to thick for a shot.
A correctly adjusted scope or even an open sight rifle would have been back straps for dinner.