Buck,
These are just my thoughts...
I guess to start, I think walking through your timber in September isn't a good idea. Any deer that were in there are certainly gone by now. Don't get me wrong I don't think there is a darn thing wrong with scouting,it's just that it should be done in late Winter or early Spring, this includes stand placement. This is when you look for old sign, rubs, bedding areas, main trails and food source as well as water.
Then comes early season scouting from observation stands or your vehical. This can take you well into Summer and early Fall.This scouting is a lot of fun especially in July and August, you can see some nice bucks driving the back roads.
When the season starts you hunt the outside/in and that's if you aren't trying to ambush a buck you have seen feeding or watering. I believe mature bucks will do some of the first rubbing so start to look for rubs on your way into your timber.
This is all early season stuff and I know it isn't really telling you what to do next. You probably have a pretty good hunting spot you just need to stay out of there for now. I would go back to the drawing board and find some more spots to hunt and let this one cool down. You gotta figure most of the bucks are still in groups and will be for the next 30 days or so, if they were in there you would know it. So go find the bachelor groups if you are still scout/hunting and trying to find a good area. I scout hunt every year looking for different spots and most importantly mature animals.
I hope you don't take any of this negatively, I am just trying to pass on some of my mistakes I've made the past 18 years.
You know there are just areas you can go back to every year and harvest a deer, I go to the river for that kind of hunting. Then there are areas in Iowa that are more open and the animals cover a bigger area. This is when it gets tricky, because you see sign and you think animals come through regularly. These area are one and two shot hunting spots. One wiff of your jiff and the animal will move 2 miles away. You have to be more careful in open country hunting, I learned it well hunting antelope with a bow.
Anyway, not knowing the area makes this just a stab in the dark.
Good Luck,
PS, most of this talk is all early season tactic. We all know when the Rut starts anything can happen and just finding a hot doe can get you good and close to a decent buck