Jaahspike,
I'm sure you're going to get varying comments here that contradict each other. For example, I don't even start trying to pattern a mature buck until I catch him on camera
! I do spread out multiple trail cameras and I hang them a little higher than normal since I've had them for a while and they have the red flash. I usually start comparing pictures at different points of the property and noting the time at which the picture was taken. For me, I find almost all pictures of mature bucks on my place are at night. This year, I think for the first time I can recall, I got a picture of a big 8 (which I killed Thanksgiving Morning) during the 2nd week of September and by the 3rd week of September or so he had gone nocturnal.
I don't mind getting night time pics as long as I continue to get pics at multiple places I can start piecing together an idea of his travel route and as soon as you think you have it figured out - he'll change it up (again that's my experience). I still don't care about that either because I know he's in the area and eventually I have acquired enough data to make decisions. I don't check my trail cameras weekly either, at most I check them every two weeks and I'm fortunate enough (even in East TN) to be able to drive up to my trail cameras. This is key in my opinion.
I don't walk around, I don't scout around looking for rubs or scrapes, etc, etc. In my mind, I really don't need to and I feel like I'm doing more harm than good. I already know where the buck has been moving through on the property. So, the other piece of data I consider is the topography and landscape. Where are the thickets on my property or other dense cover, where are these ridges only a mountain goat or whitetail deer could climb, where are some good looking travel corridors (saddles or places that level out a little on the side of the ridge), what does a satelite view tell me about my neighbor's property, where are some known food sources in the area (the guy across the street with acres of soy beans or _____ fill in the blank).
From here I know I'm probably not going to hunt this buck until I feel more confident he is moving during the daylight which usually means the rut (in my experience on my place). So, I don't try to kill that mature buck in late September or October. I just don't. When the middle of November gets here I might be hunting him in the areas I've seen him traveling through, but only because I figure he might be doing some daylight moving now because it's about time for him to breed. And, I will not hunt him with a bad wind, or right after I get off work if I don't have time to go home and shower, or when I'm in a hurry, etc. I'm going to hunt him and take every precaution I can. I almost treat it as if I have one opportunity and every time I step in the woods I'm at risk to screw it all up.