My experience with the rut in Kentucky is strange...the best time to hunt if you are wanting to experience a lot of bucks chasing does around and acting brainless is from Halloween through the second weekend of November (that is the opening weekend of rifle season and not many brainless bucks with antlers survive it)...this is especially true if it is cold (temps from 25-40)...bucks will respond to calls (grunting and antlers) as well as estrus scents...
Thereafter, a lot of really big bucks breed the does (still nocturnal mainly)...though you have a decent chance of seeing nice racks if you can hold off from killing the 120-class 8 points you would still see in a really good area...the action is usually much slower though...
Any of the Wildlife Management Areas that restricts gun hunting and has Archery only during this time is a "mecca" for deer hunters willing to put the rifles away...on one public access WMA, I have seen OR shot at least one 150+ buck a year (late October - first weekend November) for the past five years...
Fort Knox also has many 150+ class bucks that are harvested (and do not count against the KY harvest limit)...