This late in the season, post rut or even post second rut you can expect they are using cover most of the day.

Find cover. Thick cover and you will probably find shootable deer.

If using trail cams is not an option, you are limited to guess work or at least, deductive reasoning. Figure he is in heavy cover and browse feeding during daylight hours, field feeding at night.

If you can find the thickest cover in this area, you've most-likely found him. It's all about wind direction, light direction and sound at this point.

Keep in mind: Deer will >>most of the time<< watch downhill, into the sun with the wind at their backs or quartering to. They can cover 360 degrees this way. Lacking hilly terrain: They will watch the area their scent cone is blowing into, same reason.

This is experience for me, some 30 years worth.
YMMV.

BTW: All it takes is one effective picture to make a story. Just because you put them away doesn't mean their effectiveness is diminished. You use of or lack of use of trail cams affects your effectiveness more so.